Walking the Fine Line between Love and Lies
by YourDiamondAngel
Summary: Draco and Hermione have a secret history. What it was, they never defined. Not a friendship. Not a relationship. Not enemies. But they had something. During fifth year, with Umbridge and secrets, that something was tested, but will Draco and Hermione's "something" stay strong? Or will the two find a world where hateful betrayal means more than loyalty, and lies mean more than love?
1. PRESENT - Fool me once?

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Harry Potter... (Although, like many here I would gladly take it off of Rowling's hands if need be!)]**

 _Hi there! This is my first story - let's give it a shot. Parts of the story in bold are directly from the book (I take no credit for that masterpiece)! Sorry if this bothers you but this is my first story and I wasn't sure where to start! All advice and reviews are appreciated! Merry Christmas!_

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_

* * *

PROLOGUE 

PRESENT - Fool me once?

 **"Very well," she said, and she pulled out her wand. "Very well . . . I am left with no alternative. . . . This is more than a matter of school discipline. . . . This is an issue of Ministry security. . . . Yes . . . yes . . ." She seemed to be talking herself into something. She was shifting her weight nervously from foot to foot, staring at Harry, beating her wand against her empty palm and breathing heavily. Harry felt horribly powerless without his own wand as he watched her.**

 **"You are forcing me, Potter. . . . I do not want to," said Umbridge, still moving restlessly on the spot, "but sometimes circumstances justify the use . . . I am sure the Minister will understand that I had no choice. . . ." Malfoy was watching her with a hungry expression on his face. "The Cruciatus Curse ought to loosen your tongue," said Umbridge quietly.**

 **"No!" shrieked Hermione. "Professor Umbridge — it's illegal" — but Umbridge took no notice. There was a nasty, eager, excited look on her face that Harry had never seen before. She raised her wand. "The Minister wouldn't want you to break the law, Professor Umbridge!" cried Hermione.**

Hermione saw a smile spread across Umbridge's face as she barely spared a glance at her. Hermione knew what it looked like to the Slytherins, this slip of a girl supposedly orchestrated this entire rebellion. But oh, she knew...Umbridge knew alright. The Umbitch picked up her wand, and stroked it, almost lovingly before looking straight at Harry Potter. Umbridge was a lot of things, but an idiot was not one of them. She knew that the fastest way to Hermione would be through Harry. Head on had proven unsuccessful for her in the past.

"Silly girl...you think I would do this without Cornelius's approval. Let's just say we are very...good...friends, and he is willing to back anything I need to do in order to restrain this, this delinquent, and reveal Dumbledore's plot against the Ministry. And I doubt he would listen to you, Miss _Granger_. Oh, the Little Know-It-All, pretending she knows enough to stop me. As I have told you time and time again. Know. Your. Place." Umbridge spat out her final command, and Hermione's cheeks flushed with anger and embarrassment, whilst Malfoy snickered at her discomfort. Hermione knew that _both_ of them knew the extent of her power. Unfortunately, they also knew she had to restrain herself in front of the room unless she wanted her secret out.

"Might I say that my father would be very impressed by the new regime," Draco said, "Finally showing this Gryffindor trash where it belongs." Umbridge smiled affectionately at him, whilst Ron growled at the outright discrimination and Neville gagged slightly. Ginny began coughing uncontrollably.

"Teacher's..." she coughed. "P...pet." Zabini, her captor, tightened his hold on her and she fell silent once more. Umbridge smiled again, completely satisfied, like a predator knowing they have cornered their prey, a prey that has evaded them for so long. Umbridge grabbed Harry by collar of his robes and pulled him out of the chair onto the floor before pointing her wand at him.

 _"Cruci-"_

"No!" Hermione and Ginny screamed, almost as one. Ginny was shaking, and began heaving with sobs, sagging against the arms of her captor, her bravado from mere moments before already gone, whilst Hermione was standing her ground, glaring hatefully at Umbridge, whilst her eyes were glistening with tears. She looked up at the toady woman's wrinkled face with total, utter disgust. She despised this woman. But then, for a split second, her eyes shifted to Harry, and they softened.

She struggled against Bulstrode, trying in vain to reach this boy who had become her best friend years ago, and her brother not longer after, and he stared back, his eyes begging her to stop, praying she wouldn't get hurt. She continued to struggle until she finally stepped back on Bulstrodes foot, releasing a slight burst of magic to shock the large girl without exposing her powers. Hermione broke free and lunged for Harry. She threw herself over him, clinging desperately, even after Umbridge signalled to Malfoy to restrain her.

"Professor!" Hermione insisted, still shielding Harry with her body, ever the logical one. "You're never going to get what you want this way! We all know Harry won't give up! But..." She paused. She needed enough doubt on Umbridge's side for this plan to work. She took a deep breath, her shoulders sinking in faux disappointment. "We both know there's another way to get what you want."

"Hermione, don't you dare." Harry's protests were joined by the cries of Neville, Ron and Ginny, whilst Luna was merely frozen, eyes wide and limbs trembling. The distant look on her face made her seem as if she wasn't entirely present. Umbridge signalled to the Slytherins and their cries were silenced.

Hermione continued, without her voice breaking. "If you stop hurting Harry, and tell your slimy snakes to release my friends..." Ron frantically shook his head at her, eyes wide, with muffled sounds coming out of his mouth despite his captor's meaty hand preventing him from speaking. Hermione persevered, " _I_ will tell you what you want to know."

All struggles stopped, and each of her friends stared at her, their gazes a mixture of hurt, shock and betrayal. Hermione shook her head, and smiled sadly at the ground, they would understand, she _couldn't_ let that _bitch_ hurt her brother. Umbridge smiled, but it was terrifying. The kind of smile a psychopath would smile, as he bashes someone's head in. The kind of smile that children cannot see through, but their parents usher them away from. It was utterly terrifying, eerie even for someone who'd faced Voldemort.

"Oh, my _dear_ girl..." Umbridge said, her voice once again sickly sweet. She was playing the game. She knew Hermione would not give up the information, but Hermione did not need to convince her completely. Just enough to leave a seed of a doubt with her, and to convince the Slytherins. After all, Umbridge could not be a 'supported leader' if her troops were against her actions.

The sweet, babyish voice was a harsh comparison to the cruel words thrown at her mere minutes before. "I'm so glad that one of you has the common sense to understand that my threats are serious."

And Hermione began to cry weakly into Harry's hair. He stiffened, then relaxed. Hermione smiled through her tears, and lent into Harry's neck, of course Harry would know she was faking. Thank goodness _one_ of her friends knew her! As she was 'crying', she could feel his eyes on her, and gave a minute shake of the head. He immediately got the message...and wrapped his arms around her, stroking her back, ever the comforting friend.

Hermione could feel Umbridge seething behind her. Her move in this twisted dance of theirs had been a strong one. Playing the tears card was a strong one due to the fact that Hermione rarely cried. Whether the Slytherins would admit it or not, seeing the 'brightest-witch-of-her-age' with the stiffest upper lip of all the fifth years in the house of bravery crying, was something that made many of them uncomfortable.

"Shhhh...shhhh...Hermione you don't have to do this." Harry whispered in her ear, continuing the charade for everybody listening. Hermione smiled into his robes once more. What a way they had come from lying to McGonagall and Snape in the girls bathroom on that Halloween night. She forced tears out, needing to make a convincing performance in order to win; there would be no hope for convincing the more perceptive Slytherins should she not play the part. As she lifted her head to look at Umbridge, nose red from a quick wandless charm, and face tearstained, she couldn't help but wonder where to go with this. Upon seeing her tears, the others had immediately begun struggling again, but Hermione needed a real story to save her brother.

"Well then?" asked Umbridge, gloatingly, impatience ringing through, as if she knew of Hermione's dilemma and was pushing her further than she could go. "Go on then, Granger! Spill your secrets! For your friends...of course..."

"I'm sorry everyone," pleaded Hermione, playing for time as her shoulders heaved with her sobs. "But it's...it's _Harry_ "

"Finally!" said Umbridge, grabbing Hermione by the shoulders and shaking her. "Now _who was he talking to?"_

"Well, he was trying to speak to my parents." All motion stopped. Ron stared at her, confused; Luna broke out of her trance and Ginny stopped trying to knee Zabini in the groin. Even Umbridge rolled her eyes. "You _stupid_ girl! What do you think I am? An idiot. Try again."

 _Shit._ She couldn't afford another mistake like that again. And so Hermione fed her the story, about Dumbledore, the weapon, the Hog's Head, the Three Broomsticks, then finally looked up, eyes wide at the amused toady face. Damn it. She'd needed to plant a seed of doubt, but had only convinced the Slytherins. If Umbridge outright denied her claims...no, she couldn't think like that. She needed to get her to the forest. The centaurs would take it from there.

"Very well, Granger. You had your chance." Each person in the room turned to look at her, shocked, except for Draco, who stood, smirking at Hermione.

"But...Professor?" Hermione questioned, her brows crinkling up.

Umbridge smirked. "My dear, I was in Slytherin. And unlike the idiots that it seems to be producing nowadays," she shot a disgusted look at Crabbe and Goyle, "a good Slytherin can smell a lie like that from a mile away." She grabbed Hermione's shoulder, as she was frozen in shock, and threw her towards the awaiting Malfoy heir, who conjured up some rope and quickly bound her hands. He knew her well enough to know that having free hands was the equivalent of letting her go free completely.

"If you don't believe me, go to the forest!" She cried in desperation. "Please, don't hurt him!" Her voice was raised, but she was not quite screaming yet, and Draco pulled her back as she lunged.

She struggled, but it was futile, and the heavy scratchy rope around her wrists would not give. Draco's fist grasped her upper arm, squeezing mercilessly until she cried out in pain. What had happened to him? To them? She could feel a red mark forming where his fingers clenched around her flesh. Ron lunged for them, but Goyle held him back.

"Draco..." Hermione whispered, barely audible. "Draco, please..." But he merely smirked down at her, and shook his head mockingly and disapprovingly.

"Draco, please..." he mimicked, in a high falsetto. The other Slytherins snickered at her embarrassment, whilst Ron stared at Hermione, cocking his head in question. She knew what he was asking, but could only register her captor's words. Her eyes widened, and quickly filled with real tears. There were few things that could make her truly cry, but betrayal...? Umbridge shook her head in amusement, and returned to her rapid questioning of Harry.

Hermione attempted to stomp on Draco's foot over and over, but to no avail. Still glaring at the ground, she struggled hard and fast, desperately trying to escape his painful grasp. Finally, sick of her attempts, he placed his arm around her neck, his lips at her ear.

"Stop resisting, firecracker. You've lost." He flung her around her around to face him. She glared up at him, unapologetic, still struggling as he grasped both of her shoulders, then lifted his hand to her cheek. She gasped at the familiar feeling, her eyes dropping to the ground. "Remember this?"

"You bastard." She growled. Oh, how she loathed him. She met his eye, defiant and furious, but Draco merely sneered and whispered in her ear.

"This is payback for third year, mudblood _,_ " before backhanding her across the face. The _crack_ echoed around the office as Hermione fell to the floor, her eyes wide with shock and terror.

Every eye in the room was suddenly on them, and Umbridge, ceasing her interrogation of Harry, dropped her wand from its position at his neck. She cackled with cruel glee, clapping her hands together, like a toddler with a new toy. Harry and Ron's eyes were alight with fury, and Ron once again lunged for Malfoy, but failed.

Hermione was speechless. He hit her. He actually hit her. It would have been better if he'd cursed her rather than hit her, but he ended any hope they had of rekindling...whatever it was. Deep down, she knew that the slap hadn't hurt so much as the words. Rather, word. Mudblood. He'd actually said it.

Draco...no...Malfoy reached down to pick her up again, but she flinched away from his touch involuntarily, scrambling back as well as she could with her arms bound, refusing to look into his eyes. He knelt down and grasped her chin, forcing her to look up at him, but when she did, she was haunted by what she saw there. His eyes were empty. No hatred, or affection, or comfort, or disgust, just empty. Apathetic. None of the spark she'd grown accustomed to seeing in those steel grey eyes during confrontations. None of the emotion she'd grown to admire - if nothing else - and accepted. Even the hatred showed he had some level of emotion for her. Lost in thought, she barely registered his words.

"Aw, don't you trust me." His voice was mocking, and she scrunched her eyes shut as he grabbed her arm, yanking her up. "For Merlin's sake, mudblood. Get up!" It didn't hurt any less the second time.

"Go to hell." She spat.

"Ooh, touchy. Perhaps you would like another taste of how your lot will be treated once the new regime takes over." Her eyes widened. He couldn't mean... "Or," he offered, "would prefer to simply obey?" He smirked, reaching a hand towards her cheek again, which she immediately knocked away as best she could.

"Unbind my hands." She whispered from her place on the floor, trying to hide the hurt from her voice. She was unsuccessful.

"Looks like I hurt little Granger's feelings." He taunted. Nobody's attention left them, their eyes drawn to the power struggle. Because Hermione hadn't lost yet, but Draco was closer to winning. There was another round of snickers from the Slytherins. "Then again..." he mused, "maybe you should stay there, on the floor, at my feet, where you belong!"He spit out the last word, and Hermione froze. She looked at Umbridge, who was watching the exchange with an undisguised, childlike delight. Unsurprisingly, there was no reprimanding for the use of the term. After all, hadn't Umbridge been trying to teach her the very same thing all year.

Hermione's friends had caught on to her stand, and had been struggling furiously against their captors. Harry was reaching for his wand, and Umbridge was desperately firing stunning spells at the fighting students, praying she didn't hit one of her own. Millicent Bulstrode was dodging, as Ginny, who had somehow recovered her wand, was shooting hexes at her.

It was almost like clockwork; the harder he knocked her down, the stronger she got back up. He could attack and demean her using their...previous friendship. Or whatever it was. He clearly had no problem with making fun of her looks, her books and her life.

But to insult her parents? He _himself_ knew how much of an asset her muggle upbringing had provided to her, and his word made her eyes light up once more, as fury burned through every inch of her. She stood, shaking with anger, and there was a soft, scarlet-red glow around her. Her hair began to whip around as if the wind was blowing from all angles, and she was controlling it. She broke free of her bonds and raised her hands above her head, as they glowed brightest of all.

"No." she whispered, determined that her time would not be now. " _NO!"_ she repeated louder. "You, Draco Malfoy, are _nothing. Nothing to anybody_ "

Malfoy laughed, and grabbed her again, taking her by surprise as he spun her around, her back was pressed into his chest. He held a wand to her throat, and whispered in her ear. "That's not what you said to me last time, firecracker". Hermione's small frame shook with anger once more, as he spat out the last word mockingly, like a dagger piercing through her.

As her glow brightened in response to his hold, everyone returned to staring at them once more.

However, in the midst of all the chaos, Hermione's shakes were slowing, and the glow that once surrounded her form was fading, whilst Draco stood taller and taller. Hermione felt her energy being sapped away from her, and registered the wand at her throat, glowing brighter and brighter, whilst her defiance and will was fading.

"You-" she croaked, her throat dry. "Y...you - you s..swore!" She began choking up, dry sobs shaking her body, and she trembled in his hold. "When I told you that, y...your oath should... Ple-Please d...d...don't!". But the pain spreading from his wand to her throat, to every inch of her body, did not end, and she sunk to her knees at his feet, feeling her energy dry up like an oasis during a hot, dry summer. The ritual was never meant to be used in this way. She toppled over, and as her eyes close, she remained with one thought in her mind. After all they'd been through, _how could he._

She knew she'd never trust him again. What was the saying? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice? Well, he wouldn't get a chance. No matter what he did, she would never trust him again.

* * *

 _Hope you enjoyed! More to come if I get a response that people are actually reading it (not gonna push for set number of reviews but even one to know that somebody has read it would be great!)_

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_


	2. PAST - Be careful, Mudblood

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Harry Potter... (Although, like many here I would gladly take it off of Rowling's hands if need be!)**

* * *

 _Hi there!_

 _Thank you to everybody for all their feedback - I wasn't expecting so much response, let alone positive responses! Just to reconfirm: parts of the story in bold are directly from the book (I take no credit for that masterpiece)! Sorry if this bothers you but as I mentioned, this is my first story and I just need somewhere to start! All advice and reviews are appreciated! Hope you had Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year! I am going to update this quite often (but not necessarily regularly), and chapters will probably slow down a tiny bit as we get into the story. I do have quite a few of the chapter's planned out, and I will try to update weekly!_

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_

* * *

PAST - Be careful, Mudblood.

3rd Year

 **"S'no good, Ron," said Hagrid sadly as they reached the castle steps. "That Committee's in Lucius Malfoy's pocket. I'm jus' gonna make sure the rest o' Beaky's time is the happiest he's ever had. I owe him that..."**

 **Hagrid turned around and hurried back toward his cabin, his face buried in his handkerchief.**

 **"Look at him blubber!"**

 **Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had been standing just inside the castle doors, listening.**

 **"Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic?" said Malfoy. "And he's supposed to be our teacher!"**

 **Harry and Ron both made furious moves toward Malfoy, but Hermione got there first - SMACK!**

 **She had slapped Malfoy across the face with all the strength she could muster. Malfoy staggered. Harry, Ron, Crabbe, and Goyle stood flabbergasted as Hermione raised her hand again.**

 **"Don't you dare call Hagrid pathetic, you foul - you evil -"**

 **"Hermione!" said Ron weakly, and he tried to grab her hand as she swung it back.**

 **"Get off, Ron!" Hermione pulled out her wand.**

 **Malfoy stepped backward. Crabbe and Goyle looked at him for instructions, thoroughly bewildered.**

 **"C'mon," Malfoy muttered, and in a moment, all three of them had disappeared into the passageway to the dungeons.**

 **"Hermione!" Ron said again, sounding both stunned and impressed.**

Hermione turned around to look at him, eyes wide. She shook her head quickly, her movements jerky, seemingly trying to clear her head. _Not now._ She reprimanded herself. _Harry needs you now._

So she kept going. She went after Ron, and helped Harry. After that, she would think about it. So she waited.

Hours later, after discovering the truth, and going back in time Hermione thought about it. She sat in the common room with Harry, both of them silent. Ron had gone up to bed, and Hermione could almost hear his snores.

"Hermione?" Harry asked, prodding her with his finger to see if she was asleep. Hermione realised how long she'd been silent for.

"I'm awake." She confirmed. "Aren't you tired, Harry? You should head to bed."

"Ever the mother, aren't you, Hermione?" He smiled at her. He was different from Ron. His calling her mother was almost endearing, completely unlike the daggers Ron had spat at her many times before. Harry stood, then looked at her questioningly.

"You coming?"

"No. I'm going to stick around here for a while, just think..." Hermione attempted to explain but Harry waved her off.

"Don't worry. I get it. Goodnight, Mia." Hermione smiled upon hearing his nickname for her.

The fact that Harry had grown up alienated by his relatives was relatively common knowledge amongst friends, and they sympathised. But she was the only one who could empathise, except for maybe Neville. She was an only child in a big echoing house. Ever the bookworm, her knowledge intimidated her peers, and she was rarely befriended by those in her year group. Even the adults she attempted to make conversation with at her parents' dentist conventions were slightly put off by her wide range of knowledge about many topics. So much so that they avoided conversation with her, believing a child's place to be different. Her parents loved her, and whenever they had time they would debate and laugh with her. But unfortunately, the time they had for her was rare to come by.

Lack of company at home was something Ron never understood, and likely never would. He had no shortage of siblings, and if asked would claim he would happily move out if he could. He would never understand the repercussions of being alone. So Harry and Hermione, in their loneliness, agreed on one thing. They would be each other's sibling.

Hermione could sense Harry's doubt at the time, having never had someone loyal to him completely. Even her unswerving loyalty throughout the short years she'd known him was not reassurance enough. Determined to absolve her brother of any doubt, Hermione went to the library, in search of a way to bond him to her forever. She found a sibling blood-bond, and Harry asked only one question; when would they do it? And so they did. And she was his. And he was hers. Brother and Sister.

"Goodnight, Ray." He wrapped his arms around her, and she buried her face into his neck, inhaling his scent. It never failed to comfort her.

As he went upstairs, Hermione turned back and gazed into the fireplace. She was entranced, and stared unblinkingly into the dark coals, watching how chunks fell as they became too charred to stay upright. She managed to tear her glance away, and she realised the precious seconds her contemplation seemed to take were minutes. She glanced absentmindedly at the clock. 2am. She dragged herself up from the couch and felt all the blood rush up to her head. She massaged her temples with two fingers. _Too fast._

Adrenaline was still pumping through her system, and she simply could not sleep. She would not let herself look at the portrait hole, afraid that the temptation to just leave, run, to be alone would win. Her Gryffindor stubbornness failed her, and she bolted for the door. She ran with no destination and no limit. She absentmindedly followed the steps to the place she'd stood seven hours previously. That is to say, four hours previously, allowing for the extra three hours. She looked at the rock she'd pushed Malfoy up against, her wand at this throat.

She sunk to the ground, not even caring about the cold or the mud, and sobbed.

She sobbed for Sirius Black, a man who was locked in Azkaban for 13 years as a punishment for avenging his best friends.

She sobbed for Remus Lupin, a man she had known for months to be a werewolf, at no fault of his own except being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

She sobbed for Harry Potter, a boy, a child, her brother, who had been cursed with every possible unlucky thing to be known.

She sobbed for Lily and James Potter, a couple who had trusted wrongly, and had paid the ultimate price.

She sobbed for Ron Weasley, knowing that no matter what happened, he would always choose Harry over her.

And she cried for herself, for the trials she herself had endured that night.

Huddled in a heap on the ground by the daunting castle, Hermione Granger let go. She sobbed piteously, knowing that, come morning, she would have to be the clear-headed, responsible friend once more. She curled up, playing with the leather bracelet around her wrist. Gradually, her breathing slowed, and her shoulders stopped heaving.

After dragging herself out of her self-pirty, Hermione picked up her wand, and twirled it in her hand. 'What power she could channel in such a small and meaningless seeming object.' she mused. She held it, her arm outstretched in front of her, remembering how powerful she felt with a neck on the other side of it. Remembering, despite her insistence that she did not take joy in being sadistic, that she had felt an overwhelming urge to 'go muggle style' and punch Malfoy instead of cursing him. How _seductive_ that power was...

"Would you have done it? Hexed me? Or even cursed me?" A voice echoed her thoughts, and rang through the clearing from behind her. She turned around, only to see Draco Malfoy leaning against the wall behind her. He looked at her, almost intrigued by her.

"Shove off, Malfoy." She grumbled, scrambling in an attempt to get up off the ground. At the same time she furiously wiped the tears from her cheeks, praying that he would not comment on her puffy eyes, or red face. He stepped forwards and she grasped the handle of her wand instinctively, but he merely offered a hand. She glared at it, then - begrudgingly - took it. Once she was up, she looked up at his face. There was not even a ghost of the sneer or smirk she'd become accustomed to seeing, marring his handsome features. Yes. He was handsome, no doubt. And he knew it. Then she saw it, the slight red around the side of his face. It seemed she'd left a mark...

"Well?" He pressed. "Would you have?" He looked down at her, raw desperation now sparking in his eyes. After receiving no response he tried again. "Granger, your wand was at my throat. You had all the power. _Would. You. Have. Cursed. Me?_ "

"No..." She murmured. "I wouldn't have." She frowned for a moment, realising it was the truth. Despite the seductive power, she had no desire to attack him when he was unarmed and wandless. His words, sharp as knives, were not excuse enough to justify cursing him. He stiffened for a split second, even more surprised than she was, but then his eyes darkened with suspicion.

"Why?"

"It wasn't worth it. You're not worth it." Even to her own ears she didn't sound convincing. He raised an eyebrow. "You...um...I -"

"Don't bother, Granger." He slid down the wall to the ground, and gestured to her to join him. She remained standing, but upon his exasperated gaze, she rolled her eyes, and slid down next to him, still never taking her eyes off his wand.

"You have quite a right hook there," he intoned, with begrudging respect. "Where'd you learn it?"

"Muggle self-defence class, actually."

"Mmmm..." He murmured, unimpressed.

"Why are you hear, Malfoy? To torment me? Rub it in that you knew I was 'too goody-goody to curse you' all along? What do you want from me?"

Silence.

"Malfoy?"

"Interesting question you've got there, Granger. "

"Please." She humphed.

"Granger," he patronised. "Didn't know you had such an attitude."

"Stop procrastinating, Malfoy. Answer the bloody question. And if you're to simple minded to process words longer than three syllables, procrastinating is -"

"Ooh wasn't expecting such language from the Gryffindor prude..." Malfoy chided, shaking his head and tutting as if she was a young child. Suddenly his voice became icy. "And Granger, don't treat me like I'm stupid. I happen to be top of the year."

"No, I'm top of the year." Hermione's pride bristled at the insinuation that she was not the top of the year. They both knew she outranked him, in theory and in practical. "And," she continued, "I'm not insinuating you're stupid, _Malfoy._ I'm merely suggesting you tend to have bad luck when it comes to thinking." Malfoy ground his teeth, eyes flashing, bordering on fury.

"I don't have time for this, Granger." Hermione smiled inwardly, as he conceded, knowing she'd won this round, and he knew it.

"Then tell me what you're here for. You came to me if you recall."

"Merely came to warn you not to pull another stunt like today again."

"Or else what? You'll 'tell your father'? I'm shaking in my boots."

"You'd be surprised. I'm sure you'll see what we Malfoys are capable of soon enough. On that note, I would...ah... _watch out,_ this summer."

"Is that a threat, Malfoy."

"No of _course not_ " His sarcasm rung through. "I'm just reminding you to be careful this summer. I mean, the World Cup is a big event. Lots of people. Who knows what could happen to a lone mudblood as she enters a crowd of real witches and wizards?" Hermione rose, drawing her wand.

"I might have let it go in the past, at least to subdue Harry and Ron, but I swear, if you even _think_ about calling me mudblood again, you will find out the hard way exactly what else I learnt in my _muggle_ self-defence class. Understood?" There was a biting edge to her voice, and Malfoy recognised the challenge. He rose, looking down at her. He was not towering above her, but was tall enough to begin to look intimidating.

"I'd say have a good night, Granger, but I really don't want you to." He swaggered off, then stopped. He turned. "And don't pull that crap with me, Granger, we both know for a fact that you're completely different when you're _confronted_ alone. Just try to reign it in a little...you're almost _glowing_ with anger"

Hermione looked at her hands as a reflex. They were normal, she scrunched her eyebrows up, then it dawned on her. She froze. He knew. He must know. How else would he...who did he...why did he...how did he _know_?

He continued, without missing a beat. "I was serious though. Be careful, mudblood." And he was gone. There was something else there. Not just pompous arrogance, but a touch of...concern.

 _Be careful, Mudblood._ Concern wrapped in an insult. Ever the perfect Slytherin. The World Cup? He had to be bluffing - why would he tell her? Hermione stalked back to Gryffindor tower, his words still echoing in her mind. _Be careful, Mudblood._

* * *

 _Hello lovelies!  
_

 _That's that then...hope you enjoyed. Just to reiterate, I do have a clear plan of where this story is going, just need to add details. All feedback is appreciated - just nice to know that someone is reading my sporadic bursts of creativity! Again, not going to push for a review number, but even if you're not posting under an official account it's definitely valued! Let me know what you think is going to happen next!_

 _Hope you enjoy and Happy New Year!_

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_


	3. PAST - You have a choice

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Harry Potter... (Although, like many here I would gladly take it off of Rowling's hands if need be!)**

* * *

 _Hi there!_

 _Thank you so much to everybody who has favourited/followed/reviewed! I had no idea so many people would read my story, and thank you especially to those who reviewed! Just to reconfirm: parts of the story in bold are directly from the book (I still take no credit for that masterpiece)! Sorry if this bothers you but as I mentioned, this is my first story and I just need somewhere to start! All advice and reviews are appreciated! Hope you had a fabulous New Year! I am going to try to do weekly updates, but will let you know in advance if it's longer. I will try to keep updates regular, but they will potentially slow down a tiny bit as we get deeper into the story. I have a clear plan of where the story is going for quite a while, but any ideas is still appreciated! Without further ado..._

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_

* * *

PAST - You have a choice.

 **The Slytherins howled with laughter. Each of them pressed their badges too, until the message POTTER STINKS was shining brightly all around Harry. He felt the heat rise in his face and neck.**

 **"Oh very funny," Hermione said sarcastically to Pansy Parkinson and her gang of Slytherin girls, who were laughing harder than anyone, "really witty."**

 **Ron was standing against the wall with Dean and Seamus. He wasn't laughing, but he wasn't sticking up for Harry either.**

 **"Want one, Granger?" said Malfoy, holding out a badge to Hermione. "I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see; don't want a Mudblood sliming it up."**

 **Some of the anger Harry had been feeling for days and days seemed to burst through a dam in his chest. He had reached for his wand before he'd thought what he was doing. People all around them scrambled out of the way, backing down the corridor.**

 **"Harry!" Hermione said warningly.**

 **"Go on, then, Potter," Malfoy said quietly, drawing out his own wand. "Moody's not here to look after you now — do it, if you've got the guts —" For a split second, they looked into each other's eyes, then, at exactly the same time, both acted.**

 **"Furnunculus!" Harry yelled.**

 **"Densaugeo!" screamed Malfoy.**

 **Jets of light shot from both wands, hit each other in midair, and ricocheted off at angles — Harry's hit Goyle in the face, and Malfoy's hit Hermione. Goyle bellowed and put his hands to his nose, where great ugly boils were springing up — Hermione, whimpering in panic, was clutching her mouth.**

 **"Hermione!"**

 **Ron had hurried forward to see what was wrong with her; Harry turned and saw Ron dragging Hermione's hand away from her face. It wasn't a pretty sight. Hermione's front teeth — already larger than average — were now growing at an alarming rate; she was looking more and more like a beaver as her teeth elongated, past her bottom lip, toward her chin — panic-stricken, she felt them and let out a terrified cry**

Tears poured down Hermione's face as Snape arrived. She glared at Malfoy, even though, deep down she knew Harry had been partially at fault. But she was all Harry had right now, and there was no way in hell she would abandon her brother. Her brother, she flung her head around and glared at Ron as he tried to come to her defence. No way was she going to let this slide after how he'd treated Harry.

"I'm surprised you believe me, Ronald." She spat. "Even though you saw me get hexed, and have seen this happen in the past, I thought you'd assume I tried to bring harm to myself. You know, for _attention._ " Ron did not miss her thinly veiled attack on his treatment of his so-called 'best friend'. Then she registered Snape's reaction. Snape. Her Professor. A teacher. Unbiased...or at least he should be.

 _I see no difference._ Those four words had cut her to the core. To see such pure, unadulterated hatred from a teacher, it just didn't add up. It was a simple situation, but Professor Snape made it anything but.

Hermione Granger loved learning. She read ahead. She was a perfectionist. She respected her teachers. She asked intelligent, well thought out questions, each of which showed a deep understanding of the topic. She was not just a textbook student; she _thought._ Her deductive reasoning, and her logic was second to none in her year. As a result, teachers loved teaching Hermione Granger. Her depth of knowledge and understanding impressed her. They appreciated the effort she put in. And they respected her, and did their utmost to answer her in depth questioning. In short, Hermione Granger liked teachers, and teachers liked Hermione Granger.

She looked up at Snape, her eyes wide, her gaze pleading for him to - just once - treat her like a student. Treat her the same as every other student. Not as a _mudblood_. Not as Harry's best friend. Not as his godson's rival. As a student who comes to him, eager to learn, prepared for the lesson, and striving for perfection. He looked through her, eyes empty and unfeeling. Little did she know, that there was a softness lurking there. But at that moment, she had no idea, so she did the natural thing. She fled. Harry reached for her, but she whirled around, bushy hair flying and sprinted down the corridor to Madam Pomfrey.

As she ran, she could hear Harry's shouts and Ron's protests, words bitterly thrown at the greasy professor in her defence. She heard his voice slice over theirs, and she could feel Pansy Parkinson's smirking gaze on her back as she fled. She could sense Malfoy's sneer in her direction. She'd hoped he'd changed. After the events of the Quidditch World Cup, she'd remembered his warning. She'd hoped his warning showed that he _did_ care, that his words were sincere and caring, that he'd looked past blood prejudice and seen a classmate who was in danger, and whom he could help.

But hope is dangerous. Hope takes the place of all other emotions, and leaves you trapped, unable to escape, and unwilling to see the bad. Hope separates you from all else, but leaves you as soon as you open yourself to other things. Why else do you think Hope was left in Pandora's box? Alone? Only to leave when it opened up?

She does not even register once she reaches Madame Pomfrey's. She reaches for the handle, and enters the Hospital Wing.

"Merlin, dear, what happened? No matter, no matter, sit down." Poppy Pomfrey was an excellent nurse. Rather, an excellent school nurse. Students and teachers alike came to her, knowing they'd be treated no matter what. That's the thing about Madame Pomfrey, she knew when to ask questions. She ushered Hermione onto a bed, and drew the curtains around her.

"Just give me a minute, I can have those shrinking in no time." she assured the trembling girl, sensing her fear and anger.

Pomfrey picked up a mirror, and held it up to Hermione's face. Hermione flinched at the image, and shifted to stop her teeth digging into her stomach.

"Now dear, I'm going to start shrinking them, and you just let me know when to stop. When their back to...to the size you _want_ them." Pomfrey then did something Hermione never expected. Wand outstretched in preparation, she looked right at Hermione. Shooting a conspiratorial grin at the distraught girl, Madame Pomfrey very deliberately winked at her. Hermione blinked, eyes wide in shock, then relaxed at the realisation. She would show Malfoy, and teach him not to mess with her.

Once her teeth were fixed, Madame Pomfrey smiled.

"You can stay here for a bit, Miss Granger, or if you prefer, you can go back to class to show your, _friends_ , you're alright."

"I'd like to go back please." Hermione asked, politely.

"Of course," Pomfrey intoned. "But before you go, would you like to brush your teeth, dear?"

Hermione smiled and nodded. The nurse handed her a toothbrush, and, patient treated, she waved Hermione off.

Hermione left the bathroom and set off for Potions. As she headed towards the door to the hospital wing, she paused.

"Madame Pomfrey?" Hermione asked. The kind woman turned, eyes shining, waiting for Hermione to speak. "Thank you."

Poppy Pomfrey merely smiled.

"You can often find friends in the most unlikely of places, Miss Granger."

 _Friends in the most unlikely of places indeed!_

* * *

Draco Malfoy was confused, to say the least. First, he'd been punched in the face by his biggest rival, then he'd almost ruined all the plans his father had spoken of last year by warning mudblood Granger, after which he'd good as revealed that he knew her secret and finally, to cap it all off, he'd ruined the clear inner turmoil about his character - that he had quite ingeniously catalysed - by confirming he was evil and hexing her in the face.

As he sat in the back of the dungeons, he found his glance flickering to the empty chair in the front and middle, where Granger, despite Snape's clear hatred, insisted on sitting every lesson.

He could still recall her distraught features, marred with betrayal as she realised a teacher was throwing her to the wolves. There was a look in her eyes of utter humiliation, and whilst it should have satisfied Draco, it stirred something else inside of him. He still hated her, yes. But there was something else. Something engulfing his entire body. Not rage, or satisfaction, or joy.

Guilt. Deep, deep down, he felt completely guilty. To know he was responsible for the look on her face. Sure, both him and Potter had sent a spell, but his had hit her. _'I_ _see no difference.'_ Snape had said. Even by Draco's standards that was harsh. It almost seemed as if Snape had a vendetta for her beyond Draco's rivalry and - obviously - her disgusting Gryffindor tendencies. Thank Merlin Potter had been called away. Draco didn't think he could handle more of his furious glares without boxing him across the face.

As Draco continued to get lost in his thoughts, he barely noticed that the whole class had stopped working, until he heard her speak.

"Sorry for the delay, _Professor._ " She spat, her voice a stark contrast to the normal reverent tone she used to address her teachers. Draco's head flew up. It was her alright. Her eyes were alight with ill-disguised disgust, and her head was held high. Gryffindor stubbornness until the end... She continued, seemingly not noticing that all eyes in the room were staring at her. "I have a note from, Madame Pomfrey excusing my lateness."

'Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed...' Draco thought. He immediately reprimanded the voice in his head. She had every right-

'She's a mudblood. She has no rights.' The voice cut him off, reciting his old mantra in his head.

"Sit." Professor Snape spat, not even glancing up. He was uncaring or unfazed by her boldness.

Draco watched her eyes narrow, and she stood up straight, stalking towards her seat. She was both graceful and predatory at once.

'She would have made a good Slytherin,' Draco mused, "if not for..." That train of thought was immediately cut off.

He did not take his eyes off the back of her head, even when those around him went back to work, copying more mindless Potions' Formulas. Almost as if she could sense his eyes on the back of her head, she stiffened, then slowly, with all the grace and pride of a lioness, she turned and looked straight at him. Then she smiled. It should have eased his guilt, goaded his anger and pride, but it didn't. It was...strange.

It wasn't quite a feral grin, but it was sly, satisfied, and undeniably...sexy? But something was different. What was different?

Then it clicked. His rival. His most stubborn victim. The bane of his existence. The mudblood. She was staring at Draco, showing off her _perfectly straight and perfectly sized front teeth._

* * *

It had felt good. Walking back in with her head held high. But turning, and staring her bully right in the eye, and showing off the results of his spiteful curse. That had felt great.

She'd turned back around, and simply continued copying. She'd flicked her wand under the desk, and her spare quill began copying down all she'd missed from Dean Thomas, sitting next to her. The dark-haired boy looked up at her in shock as he heard the sound of two quills scratching next to him. He looked up at her, a mixture of fear and awe in his eyes, as he watched her copy from the blackboard, not sparing an ounce of focus on the intricate and complicated charm she was maintaining to copy up from the bored. She sensed his stare, and glanced up, raising an eyebrow. For Merlin's sake, they don't call her the 'brightest witch of her age' for nothing...

As the tall, dark professor was habitually surveying the classroom, his eyes widened at the quill. Hermione saw out of the corner of her eye as he considered saying something before his eyes widened when he saw who was next to it. He merely scowled, glared, and resumed his paperwork. Hermione smiled knowingly, aware that he'd ignore it due to his worry that she'd report him for his previous comment. She wouldn't, of course. It simply wasn't worth it, but Snape knew that if there was any complaint Professor McGonagall would listen to, it'd be hers.

A note appeared on her desk, and she looked up at Dean in question. He gestured subtly to Neville, who stared at her. She skimmed the note as quickly as she could, then smiled back in gratitude.

 _Hermione,_

 _I hope you're okay - your teeth look great!  
In case you were worried, Harry's gone for an interview. Some tournament thing...Snape wasn't thrilled. Harry and Ron tried to defend you, but he took points to shut them up.  
I would offer my notes, but it seems you've got that covered - you might need to teach that to Harry with all the classes he'll be missing!_

 _Neville_

She felt bad she hadn't checked on Harry as soon as she'd gotten back, but scolded herself immediately.

'You're his sister, not his mother! He'll be fine. He's a big boy now.' Deep down this did nothing to comfort her. She didn't trust Ray not to lash out at a nosey reporter, and he clearly hadn't been in a great mood beforehand. As the bell rung, she quickly flicked her wand, completing the notes on her own paper, before addressing the charmed quill. Her hands worked on autopilot, quickly performing the same charm on it, before the Professor cleaned off the blackboard. As she could tell from Dean's work, it was highly unlikely many of her other housemates had finished. She would a copy up in the Gryffindor common room later.

* * *

By the time Hermione had reached the common room, Harry was already back. He appeared calm, but she could sense his agitation through the bond. She quirked her eyebrows at him in question.

'Want to talk?' Her eyes conveyed. He shook his head, and gestured vaguely with his hands.

'Later.' It seemed to say. She smiled, and settled down on the couch next to him. She brought the copy of the blackboard from her bag, and with a flick of her wand and a muttered spell it was enlarged and projected towards the centre of the group of Gryffindor fourth years.

"Thank you!"

"You're a lifesaver, 'Mione!"

"What would we do without you?"

Her classmates voices echoed back. She leaned into Harry's shoulder, smiling contentedly. Despite the rocky start it had been a good day.

She had been reminiscing for a full five minutes before she felt the shoulder under her stiffen. Harry grabbed her shoulders, spun her around and looked at her.

"Your teeth?" He questioned.

"Yes?" She pressed.

"They look fantastic, Mia." She grinned at him.

"Thanks, Ray." She settled back down on his shoulder as he relaxed. Her gaze flickered towards the clock. She leaped up, and Harry started at her abrupt action.

"Hermione Jean Granger! Why in god's name would you scare me like that?" Harry exclaimed, one hand over his heart, dramatically, and one placed over his brow. He looked like an over-dramatic, old-time Southern Belle. Hermione rolled her eyes at his antics, before explaining.

"Look at the time! I have so much work to do." She waved her wand the projection of the blackboard vanished, much to the distress of the fourth years around them. Even Harry stared at her quizzically. She sighed, shaking her head in disappointment.

"I can't keep it up from that long a distance yet. At least not while I'm trying to focus completely on something else." She explained briefly. Harry could hear what she was trying to say. _She wasn't powerful enough...yet._ But her brother had only witnessed a smidgen of her power. Even with his temper, Harry had nothing on her. She was, however, telling the truth. She couldn't keep it up whilst she was trying to focus on something else. Her friends merely assumed she meant homework, as opposed to exploring and perfecting branches of magic they didn't even dream of. She massaged her temples, trying to drown out their high-pitched whining, but to no avail.

Hermione rolled her eyes at their complaints, and with a flick of her hand a perfect copy of the notes, with extra references from various textbooks and Hermione's own knowledge appeared on their laps. She may have been showing off, but it didn't hurt to remind them she was doing them a favour. She almost flew up the stairs to the girls dorms, her bushy hair flying out behind her, as she tried to evade her peers' incessant questioning.

When she arrived, she knew something was wrong. The first thing she noticed, was that it was unnaturally cold. Sure, the tower was high up, but the toasty fireplace always kept the Gryffindor Tower quite warm. The second tip, was the blown open window. She approached it, intending to close it, but she then saw a figure on a broom with their back to her, not out of hearing range, but too far to identify. And finally, she saw the note. It was laying on her bed, placed with all the subtlety of a bull in a china shop. Her eyes scanned the words. Then again. And again. Nope, she wasn't crazy.

 _I'm sorry. Don't mention to anybody I said so. ~ D.M._

The initials were in ornate gold ink, and the end of the 'M' was in looped. The whole note looked like it was written in perfect calligraphy. As she picked it up, it grew hot. She dropped it in surprise, wiping her hands on her skirt. Shit! She should have checked it for curses, as she usually does. She had no shortage of enemies in this school. She looked up at the figure once more, and could just about make out a flash of platinum hair in the moonlight.

She nodded in acceptance, and stared sharply at the innocent piece of paper that looked like it was steaming. Almost as if it detected the change, the note burst into flames. They lasted barely 4 seconds, and charred no area of the wooden floor it had burned on. She squinted quizzically at the boy, now hovering further away.

Suddenly the figure turns, and Malfoy gave her a two fingered salute, before flying off across the lake.

She shut the window, and turned around. She leaned against it, trying to gather her thoughts. Will wonders never cease?

Little did she know, she would wake up tomorrow, wondering if it was all a dream.

* * *

Draco landed on a slither of grass in front of the lake, and watched surreptitiously over his shoulder, as she shut her window.

"I'm an idiot." He spoke out loud. And it was the truth. He'd risked the reputation he'd worked for years to build for a mudblood.

"I appreciate your apparent candor, Mr Malfoy, but I do believe you are incorrect." A raspy voice said from next to him.

Draco jumped, then froze. He was a Malfoy and a Slytherin, the best one at that, and he would behave as such.

"Headmaster." He greeted, his voice completely controlled, refusing to break his composure.

"Mr Malfoy...Draco...what do you think is the definition of the word right?" Dumbledore asked, never direct in the slightest.

"Headmaster?" Draco was filled with unease, but he barely showed it. "Aren't you going to take points"

"You see, Draco." The old wizard continued, barely pausing. "I do not believe that would be _right_ given the circumstances. But we all face the dilemma when those around us believe differently. If they believe your view of wrong is wrong but their view of right isn't right, so to say."

"What are you trying to say?" Draco asked, his frustration growing at the man's cryptic tendencies. "Sir?" He amended.

"That's up to you, Draco. I'm giving you the choice to see this as you wish. You may choose to believe it is a wild hallucination, or you may take some inspiration. But know, choosing whether or not to forget this is not the only choice you have, despite what you may think." And he was gone. Wordlessly, and silent.

Draco shook his head, trying to remove all the crazy conspiracies that he had somehow cooked up in the past 24 hours. He had a choice?

* * *

 _So that was that._

 _I had a lot of fun writing Dumbledore and Pomfrey. Whilst I'm not sure how accurate I was with the former, it's entertaining imagining Draco's reaction to such cryptic advice, whilst his belief's as a Malfoy and as an individual are warring. As for the latter, I'd like to imagine she had a bigger role in the books than we saw. I hope you all enjoyed, and had a fantastic New Year._

 _Please press that big button saying Review! Even if you don't have an account feel free to post Anonymously/as a Guest. Literally only so I can get some feedback as to my writing style and where to go!  
Thank you!_

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_


	4. PAST - Take your glow, but not your fire

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Harry Potter... (Although, like many here I would gladly take it off of Rowling's hands if need be!)**

* * *

 _Hi there!_

 _Thank you so much to everybody who has favourited/followed! Unfortunately, no reviews. Please guys! Not to nag, but just a simple click will honestly make my day. Again: parts of the story in bold are directly from the book (I still take no credit for that)! Sorry if this bothers you but as I mentioned, this is my first story and I find it hard to find a starting point! This excerpt is slightly cliché, but there you go! All advice and reviews are appreciated! I am going to try to do weekly updates, but will let you know in advance if it's longer (I have exams right now but will still try to get chapters out on time! That's Thursday by the way, cause there was some confusion on the second chapter). So far keeping updates regular, but they will potentially slow down a tiny bit as we get deeper into the story. Any ideas and thoughts are appreciated! Without further ado..._

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_

* * *

PAST - Take your glow, but not your fire.

 **"Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!"**

 **Ron mouthed soundlessly like a goldfish out of water as Hermione turned on her heel and stormed up the girls' staircase to bed. Ron turned to look at Harry.**

 **"Well," he sputtered, looking thunderstruck, "well — that just proves — completely missed the point —" Harry didn't say anything. He liked being back on speaking terms with Ron too much to speak his mind right now — but he somehow thought that Hermione had gotten the point much better than Ron had.**

'The nerve of him!' Hermione was absolutely fuming. Her hair had fallen from its elaborate twisted up-do, and was falling about her shoulders, slightly frizzing as her skin crackled with unreleased power. She was storming down the third floor corridor, no destination in mind, purely following her gut.

She'd heard Ray shouting behind her, but had ignored it in favour of hiding her tears, but she did not until now realise how much she would appreciate the comfort of another person. She slowed, and stopped. She looked around frantically, edging on panic, and almost collapsed between two nearby suits of armour.

She regained her balance and leaned her palm against the wall, choking with a combination of harsh pants and distraught sobs, both tearing from her chest. She finally let go, no longer holding in her tears. They burst from her, like water from a down, spilling down her cheeks into the hollow of her throat. She could feel her lip trembling like a small child's between her sobs sunk to her knees on the floor. She scooted back against the wall, and pulled them up towards her, wrapping her arms around them, and leaning her face against the fabric of her dress. She lifted her shaking, and now glowing, hands up, focusing on them, willing them to stop. She glared at them, but could not even intimidate them into submission.

As she was bordering on hysteria, and stress was overcoming her, she could feel her walls, the walls that hold her up, make her strong, just...collapsing. Moment by moment, they fell. Salty droplets crept down her neck, leaving the neckline of her periwinkle blue dress slightly damp.

"We have _got_ to stop meeting like this. Are you always such a basket-case of female hormones and tears? Honestly, all this over a _Weasley."_

Her head snapped up at the sound of that familiar snarky voice. It was laced with disbelief and disgust as he spat out Ron's name. She bristled at the insinuation, and the insult to her gender, but could not fault his original statement. Why did he _always_ manage to find her in her moments of weakness?Collapsing in tears after third year. Fleeing in tears from a harmless hex. And now, after a date with an internationally famous celebrity...it was like he could sense her vulnerability, but when he witnessed it, never seemed prepared to kick her while she's down.

"Honestly," he continued, "I can never tell if you females are bloody distraught or glowing in anger."

What an arseho-

"Except for you of course..." he added under his breath. Wait a minute...

"Excuse me?" She snapped, wiping away her tears.

"Don't bother, Granger. There's no point trying to hide that I know." He stared, pointedly, at her still visible hands, and she quickly hid them in the folds of her dress, attempting, futilely, to cover the evidence he had already seen. The sheer material did little to hide them, and she sighed, placing them openly on her lap, head bowed in acceptance. There was no denying she looked a wreck. "What do you want to talk about first? The fact that after you finally worked out how to use makeup and potions, went to the ball with an international Quidditch _sensation_ , you decided to let Weasley's dumb comments get to you."

Hermione ignored him, refusing to move away from the more serious topic at hand.

"How do yo-" she began.

"Long story." came the terse reply.

"Malfoy," she ground out, teeth grinding. Her voice was low and dangerous, and he could sense the anger rolling off of her in waves. "How do you know?"

* * *

xx xx xx xx xx xx

* * *

Mere hours before that, Draco had been standing outside the common room, waiting. He rolled his eyes as he tapped his foot on the floor impatiently. Bloody _girls._ Not like the extra 'cakey' makeup on Parkinson's face is going to improve it. She was a pureblood sure...and she could be worse, but she had nothing on Granger.

 _Granger? Where'd that come from._

Draco could not get the image of her out of his head. The furious light in her eyes when she was angry, the slight crease between her brows when she was confused, the way her whole body glowed with passion, and her face when she found out he'd noticed.

But hot or not, she was a mudblood. No matter how disgusted Draco was with his physical attraction towards her, that was clear in his mind. She was below him. Good for a good fuck if he was desperate, but not for anything more. He was a Malfoy, but there was no doubt that he'd think so regardless.

"Pansy!" He hollered, exasperated. He saw her friend, Daphne coming down the stairs, and looked at her expectantly. She rolled her eyes as she tucked her hand into Blaise Zabini's.

"She's coming, Draco. Relax."

Draco continued to look expectantly at the top of the stairs. When she finally emerged, he was taken aback. She'd surpassed his expectations that's for sure. Her ebony hair, now grown out of its bob, was in delicate curls framing her face. Part of it was clipped back, and a few strays tickled the back of her neck. Her lips were a reddish pink, looking plump and kissable, and her eyes were powdered with glitter and outlined with thick black liner. His eyes trailed down, and he was taken aback by her dress. It was made from a navy blue velvet, and lined with gold. It dipped slightly, hinting at cleavage but not obviously. It was strapless, and cinched under the bust before flowing to the floor. She screamed pureblood, nobility and class, and he couldn't wait to be the envy of every man there. Except his French cousin's date. Bloody Delacours and their Veela genes.

He offered her his arm, his posture perfect as ever.

"You look gorgeous, Pans." he complimented, completely honestly. "Absolutely stunning."

She blushed, uncharacteristically shy. She took his arm, and they began the long walk from the Dungeons to the Great Hall.

"Thanks, Draco," she murmured, bashfully, letting him lead her. Draco scrunched his eyebrows up, imperceptibly.

"Draco?" She asked, raising a perfectly plucked eyebrow.

"Stop." He looked at her, a slight lopsided grin on his face. She was probably the only one who ever saw it. Most others were only granted the honour of seeing him smirk, sneer or just impassive. "Pansy, don't let this change us. We are friends, and one night won't change that." He attempted to reassure her.

He thought he could see her shoulders slightly slump in disappointment, but she straightened so quickly it could've been an illusion. She smiled up at him, but he could see the cracks in her supposedly joyful demeanour. He ignored them, and they walked the rest of the way.

They were just in time for the announcement of the champions. Bloody Potter. Had to have the spotlight, as usual...if anyone should have been able to break the rules it should have been him. It was a Malfoy's right to bend the rules.

"And now our _champions!_ " A voice boomed from the front table. There was polite applause from the Ravenclaws and Slytherins, and cheers from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and the visiting schools.

"Fleur _Delacour_!"

Draco clapped slowly as his cousin strolled out, but it was barely noticed amongst the cheers and whistles from the male population of the school, and the cheers from the Beauxbatons girls. She had some Ravenclaw arm candy on her own. He didn't seem to be able to anything except drool at her, and she was simply waving, absorbing all the love. Thank goodness he shared the same Veela genes she did...drooling after his cousin would have been incestuous and embarrassing. She saw his sarcastic clap, and gave him a two fingered salute in return. He rolled his eyes, and openly snickered at the jealous look many of the male population threw his way, unaware of their relationship. Pansy merely laughed along, fully aware.

"Cedric _Diggory_!"

Hufflepuff pretty boy, with that Chang girl. She wasn't too bad looking. Pansy, noticing his thoughtful stare, elbowed him none to gently. He looked down, and smiled patting her hand.

"Nothing on you, Pans!" He teased, noticing her ill-disguised jealousy. She stuck out her bottom lip, pouting like a child, crossing her arms in mock irritation. He laughed, wrapping his arm around her.

"Harry _Potter_!"

Draco's worst enemy came out with one of the Patil twins on his arm. Which one was that anyway? She was eating in all the attention, whilst Potter was clearly focusing on not tripping. Honestly! What a disgrace!

"And Viktor _Krum_!"

He barely noticed all the cheers from Quidditch fans and Durmstrangs alike. He just saw the angelic brunette on his arm. Her hair was clasped into a French twist, her dress made of satin and a periwinkle blue.

"No way!" Pansy exclaimed beside him.

"What?"

"Did you not- Draco that's _Granger!_ "

No way? That's an understatement. Draco reexamined the goddess walking past them, and scowled as he realised Pansy was absolutely right. The ginger sidekick looked furious next to the other Patil, clearly only with him because of Potter, and she had her hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him.

"Weasel is fuming." He pointed out to Pansy, who laughed along.

The dance began, and he watched, his eyes slits, as she was whirled around the dance floor by the Bulgarian Champion. Dumbledore joined with McGonagall (No surprise there. Everyone had always known those two had something going on!), and Draco, as was customary, took the back of Pansy's hand, kissed it chivalrously, and requested a dance. Pansy squealed, and Draco pulled her to the floor.

They whirled, but Draco's mind was fixated on the bushy haired mudblood, who apparently had grown up more than he'd anticipated. He subconsciously began waltzing Pansy towards the dancing couple, and did not realise until Pansy dragged him away from them, as he had almost bumped into Krum.

"Draco!" She reprimanded, scandalised.

The song finished, and then another, and then another. He offered to go fetch them drinks, and she agreed to wait by a table nearby. He watched Krum and Granger leave the floor soon after, and watched her approach her friends whilst Krum headed towards him.

He watched all three parties frantically gesture until Weasley spit something at her, and she recoiled. He watched Potter tried to peacemake, but the mudblood was already barrelling towards the door out of the room.

Draco glanced over at Krum, who was watching his fleeing date with sad eyes, until a pretty Hufflepuff 6th year tapped him on the shoulder, and he was gone. Draco rolled his eyes. He saw Pansy dancing with a Durmstrang who had quickly snatched her once he left. She looked at him beseechingly as she stopped, and he raised his hand in acceptance. Her face relaxed, and she didn't notice as he left the Hall, in pursuit of a certain not-so-bushy haired Gryffindor.

He caught up on the third floor, and watched her sink to the ground between two suits of armour. Talk about picking a bad spot. He watched her fall apart for a bit, before making his presence known

"We have _got_ to stop meeting like this. Are you always such a basket-case of female hormones and tears? Honestly, all this over a _Weasley._ " He spat. Of course, he didn't mean it quite so harshly, but she needed a wake up call.

'For,' he justified to himself, 'what's a rival without a spirit?'

Her head had snapped up at the sound of his voice, and he watched as the glow already surrounding her hands grew brighter and began spreading up her arms.

"Honestly," he continued, "I can never tell if you females are bloody distraught or glowing in anger." Except for her of course. The glow was hardly subtle, but the little joke was just for him. He'd assumed she was too emotional to notice but, as usual, she surpassed expectations.

"Excuse me?" She still managed to sound indignant, whilst choking in tears. Draco smiled to himself. At least she had her fire back. Then he registered.

Shit. He'd said it out loud. He might as well go with it, given they both know she can't hide it anymore. He watched her scramble to hide her glowing palms, but they glowed through the flimsy material of her dress.

"Don't bother, Granger. There's no point trying to hide that I know." He watched as the skirt fell part of the way down her thigh as she gave up hiding them. He couldn't help but hope it inched up a little further. There was no denying she looked a wreck right now, but she was hot regardless. Besides, her fury was amusing. Draco continued to goad her, disguising his pep talk in insults.

"Which do you want to talk about first? The fact that after you finally worked out how to use makeup and potions, went to the ball with an international Quidditch _sensation_ , you decided to let Weasley's dumb comments get to you."

Granger ignored him, before starting.

"How do yo-" she began. He knew he'd have to tell her eventually, but he hadn't planned on doing so quite so soon. He could have used it to bargain.

"Long story." He ground knew he shouldn't be doing this, it went everything he went against as a Malfoy, but his gut told him to ignore him. He approached, but she shied away from him.

"Oh _scoot over_ , Granger. I don't particularly want to be infested by your muggle germs, but if you squeeze up it shouldn't be a problem." Honestly, she made it so difficult.

* * *

Hermione rolled her eyes at his comment about her blood. He really needed something new, but she shuffled over none the less.

"Can't you make that stop?" He half-complained, gesturing vaguely towards the glow that had spread towards her shoulders, and was making the air around her crackle and swirl.

Hermione smiled sadly, knowing she couldn't trust somebody, but recognising that letting anybody else in on as much as he knew now was just as dangerous. She needed somebody who knew to be able to stop it if it got to serious, even at risk of hurting her. And she knew Malfoy had no qualms about that.

She remembered a passage she'd read on wand oaths. Not quite as extreme as an Unbreakable Vow, but definitely binding...she thought through the steps. It was simple enough.

Hermione picked up her wand, and he reached for his own automatically, but stopped when he realised she wash holding it horizontally, with two hands side to side, fingers curled around the middle.

"Hold the outer sides, Malfoy." Hermione forced out, begrudgingly. He was a pureblood, he knew what a wizard oath looked like.

"An _wizard_ oath, mudblood? Didn't think you'd know abo-"

She cut him off with a glare. Her enemy sighed, then responded. "Depends what I'm going to have to agree to, Granger."

"Merely that you will not reveal or perform the ritual I am about to teach you in any way, shape or form, unless the solution is dire. And dire is implied through a version of the charm I created, so you will simply know when." Hermione bit back. She hated that she was left with this, but the other option held far more risks. The more people who knew, friend or foe, the more danger she was in. That was, if she even had any friends left. Other than Harry, who she would never share this with in order to protect him and her secret from Voldemort, there was nobody she could tell. Ironically, this was her _last resort._

Malfoy nodded in acquiescence, and held the ends of the wand she still had outstretched.

"Do you," Hermione started, "Draco Abraxas Malfoy, swear to me, Hermione Jean Granger, that you will not share any information I shall share with you at any point or perform the Reditum Tenebris Ritual of the 14th Planet, unless the situation is dire or you get direct permission from me after proof of identification?" She muttered an incantation of her invention under her breath, to ensure the proper circumstances allowed it.

"Yes. And do you, Hermione Jean Granger, promise to tell me nothing but the truth about this glow and the ritual?"

 _Shit._ Slimy Slytherin...she should have taken blood precautions to prevent him asking anything else. But she had been lost in the moment and could not stop now. He'd pay later. Pity he hadn't had time to think about the wording.

"Yes. So mote it be."

There was a flash, and a searing pain shot through her spine.

"It is done." Malfoy said, hissing with the pain he shared with her. "Now tell me."

And she did. She told him about her curse or her gift, and how to stop it getting out of hand. And then she gave him permission to perform the ritual, and with a slight twist of his wand, the glow was gone.

* * *

Draco smirked as the glow vanished. There were some advantages purebloods just havd, and knowing how to break such a weak wand oath was one of them. He was surprised enough that she knew about this oath, but it was childish at best. It was like the wizarding equivalent of a "muggle pinky promise" (according to Daphne after she went to that Muggle Studies class of hers...). It wasn't in the books, but breaking it was easier than the swish and flick that accompanied the words ' _Wingardium Leviosa'._

"Thank you." She murmured under her breath begrudgingly. She made to leave, but he grabbed her wrist.

"Woah there, Granger. Didn't you promise to tell me everything." Draco ground his teeth. He'd waited too damn long for this. Hermione merely smiled gloatingly.

"Next time you try and deceive someone, you Slytherin bastard, think about the wording. I promised to tell you the truth, but you said nothing about telling you everything, and nothing about telling you anything right this second." She made to flounce off again.

"Granger!" He called.

She turned expectantly. He ran to catch up to her, then grabbed her shoulders. He already had a few inches on her, and knew he'd just keep growing.

"No matter what Weasley says, you...you looked beau...beautiful tonight. Good on you for bagging Krum."

Yep. Deliberate slips, slight hesitation, fake begrudging awe, bit of a quiver. A Slytherin answer to any not familiar with it. He was a Malfoy, after all. Slytherin through and through. That ought to mess with her head a bit. Now to break that oath...

Granger cleared her throat, and interrupted his thoughts. She looked amusing with her shocked gaze, and he merely smirked. He began to walk off, but called back over his shoulder.

"Touché, Granger. Who would have thought a Gryffindor was smart enough to find a loophole?" And he strolled the rest of the way to the dungeons quite contentedly, whistling as he left her standing there in shock.

* * *

 _Hope you enjoyed!_

 _I know Draco makes a point of being a Malfoy a lot, but I'm just trying to emphasise how much of his persona is due to how he thinks a Malfoy should act, and how much he genuinely believes. Whilst I'm not sure how clear I made it, I hope it will become more obvious later! I quite enjoyed writing the thoughts during their conversation, and I'm praying you enjoy reading it!_

 _I hope you all enjoyed, and had a fantastic week so far!_

 _Please press that big button saying Review! Even if you don't have an account feel free to post Anonymously/as a Guest. I got no review last time :'( so please do! I'm not going to give up on you, it just makes me that little bit more happy every time I go to write a chapter, and it really does make my day! Only so can get some feedback as to my writing style and where to go, be it negative or positive!  
Thank you!_

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_


	5. PAST - Time changes all, but heals few

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Harry Potter... (Although, like many here I would gladly take it off of Rowling's hands if need be!)**

* * *

 _Hi there!_

 _Thank you so much to everybody who has favourited/followed! Thank you also to_ JayBat _for your review - I understand confusion about the wand oath and have updated the previous chapter to explain what Draco meant by 'breaking it'. Also thank you to_ Hermione1Jean2Granger3 _for your review. I was looking at it more as a less serious oath, as opposed to the Unbreakable Vow, which Hermione actively chose not to do. It was more of a reason for Hermione to trust Draco that little bit more, but he has a way out without her knowing (pureblood thing). Bit of a wild imagination here, but hope that helps!_

 _Do review, lovelies! A little click will honestly make my day._

 _Again: parts of the story in bold are directly from the book (I still take no credit for that)! Sorry if this bothers you but as I mentioned, this is my first story and I find it hard to find a starting point! I am currently doing weekly updates, but will let you know in advance if it's longer (I have exams right now but will still try to get chapters out on time!). Slightly shorter chapter than usual, but still have exams and it felt like a good place to leave it._

 _So far keeping updates regular, but they will potentially slow down a tiny bit as we get deeper into the story. Any ideas and thoughts are appreciated! Without further ado..._

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_

* * *

PAST - Time changes all, but heals few.

 **Well, you're the one who's supposed to be researching magical methods of bugging!" said Harry. "You tell me how she did it!"**

 **"I've been trying!" said Hermione. "But I . . . but . . ."**

 **An odd, dreamy expression suddenly came over Hermione's face. She slowly raised a hand and ran her fingers through her hair.**

 **"Are you all right?" said Ron, frowning at her.**

 **"Yes," said Hermione breathlessly.**

 **She ran her fingers through her hair again, and then held her hand up to her mouth, as though speaking into an invisible walkie-talkie. Harry and Ron stared at each other.**

 **"I've had an idea," Hermione said, gazing into space. "I think I know . . . because then no one would be able to see . . . even Moody . . . and she'd have been able to get onto the window ledge . . . but she's not allowed . . . she's definitely not allowed . . . I think we've got her! Just give me two seconds in the library — just to make sure!" With that, Hermione seized her school bag and dashed out of the Great Hall.**

Hermione sprinted down the hallway, bushy hair flying behind her. She'd have to run faster in order to make it back in time for the History of Magic Exam. She could feel her magic responding to her need, and could feel the air breezing past as she moved at an astonishing speed, that you would barely notice as unusual unless you paid attention.

She was so focused on the theories in her head she barely noticed as she approached the library. She breezed in, spotting the last minute crammers making to leave. She ran to the shelf on Animagi, and searched for the book she needed. _'Registered Animagi'..._

"Cutting it a bit late there, aren't we, Granger?" A cutting voice interrupted her train of thought. She paused for a split second, but then continued searching, bouncing on the balls of her feet in anticipation.

"Don't have time for this right now, Malfoy." She forced out through gritted teeth. Couldn't he see she was busy? Hermione reached for the book, and quickly flicked through the pages in search of the section she needed. Finally she reached her section. She skimmed the names frantically, her eyes darting between the pages of her book and the clock hanging on the wall. Hermione barely registered Malfoy's presence as she finally reached her section.

 _Scamander_

 _Selwyn_

 _Sindred_

 _Slytherin_

 _Smith_

"Fine, Granger, but don't be late." Malfoy spoke without spite, and her surprise shocked her out of her concentration.

"What? No mudblood? Going soft?" She quipped, not knowing why she was baiting him, but knowing not to back down. She returned to her page, reading and re-reading as to be absolutely sure, not even caring to hear his response.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Malfoy sneer, and grind his teeth. "Do you miss it, Granger? Maybe I've grown up? Maybe I've accepted I don't hate you because of your blood, but your _overbearing lack of personality._ "

Hermione recoiled, flinching as if she'd been slapped, and she felt a bitter laugh spring from her mouth. Her one reassurance in this school was that people hated her for her house, her brains or her blood, but never, _never,_ because they didn't like her as a person. She felt tears welling up in her eyes, and fought to keep control before snarking back, her voice filled with anger and sarcasm.

"Yes, Malfoy. Because that statement is the _epitome_ of maturity. Grown up? Don't kid yourself."

"What more do you want from me, Granger? You have given me little indication in the 4 years I've known you that you are any more than a know-it-all show-off and a teacher's pet. Other than calling you mud-... _that word..._ I have done next to nothing to deserve your foul treatement." Malfoy spat out angrily.

* * *

Draco was seething. He'd made an effort, like that senile old man had suggested, to make a choice and see Granger another way. Of course, Dumbledore had never mentioned her specifically, but that was obviously what he meant. Right...?

So he'd seen her there, heard her muttering some nonsense about Skeeter and Animagi under her breath, and he'd finally decided to stop. But then, the little mud-...Gryffindor called him out on it and accused him of going _soft._ She should be thanking whatever god muggles believe in that he'd even deigned to address her civilly.

His cheek flared, and he realised she'd slapped him across the face. She'd clearly thrown up a silencing charm, as Madam Pince had not come to lecture them. She ignored her wand, and stormed at him, digging her finger into his chest. He could feel her nail, but it did not pierce her skin. She began stepping forward, forcing him against a bookcase.

"You absolute _bastard,_ Draco Malfoy! Do you _know_ how many tears I've shed because of your insults? Do you have any idea how many times _that word_ , as you call it, caused me to cry myself to sleep. Just because you don't see it, doesn't mean it isn't there. And if you dare, _dare,_ try to downplay the _hell_ you've put me through over the years, at least when Harry and Ron, you'd better bloody remember that I am the brightest witch of our age, and it's not self-proclaimed. I will curse you to hell and back."

By the time she'd finished there were tears pouring down her cheeks. Draco was taken aback, he'd had no idea what effect he'd had.

'Bullshit. You knew exactly what you were doing.' That nagging voice in his head was back, and still Draco ignored it. He gently gripped her wrist and moved her finger.

"7pm in the Astronomy Tower." He said. Draco knew what he'd have to say to convince her, and part of him believed it enough to make it realistic.

'You're not lying.' The voice in his head insisted.

 _'Shut up.'_ He replied.

Whatever happened tonight, and he knew she'd come, she'd trust him more than she did before. And that was the aim, wasn't it?

"What? Wha-" she began.

"We need to get to the exam, but we need to talk about that, Granger."

"Why should I-" She began. For Merlin's sake she doesn't make things easy. Draco knew he'd have to turn to his last resort. He needed her to trust him, and his knowledge of the ritual said enough.

"Hermione, _please!_ " It worked. She numbly nodded, her eyes wide in shock, and followed him to the Great Hall, almost in a trance. Quest forgotten, it seemed.

* * *

Hermione waited at the Astronomy Tower, shivering at the cold wind that rattled the windows, despite her warming charm. She'd caught Skeeter, despite Malfoy's unnecessary distractions...speaking of which...She glanced at her watch. 6.57pm. Anytime now...

"Figures you'd be early, Granger." Malfoy strolled in at 7 on the dot, and leaned against a wall, about a metre away from her. He seemed so...non-chalant...and it was infuriating. She didn't waste a minute.

"Why'd you ask me here, Malfoy? I'm not in the mood for your games, and I think I made my opinion on your so-called new attitude earlier today...so what could I possibly need to hear from you?"

"I had no ide-...I didn't mea-...did it really hurt? _That word?_ " His words provoked her suspicion, and she raised her eyebrow.

"You really want to know?" She continued at his assent, remembering the confrontation that hurts like it was yesterday, and yet feels like it was decades ago.

 **"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in," said Hermione sharply. "They got in on pure talent."**

 **The smug look on Malfoy's face flickered. "No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood," he spat.**

 **Harry knew at once that Malfoy had said something really bad because there was an instant uproar at his words. Flint had to dive in front of Malfoy to stop Fred and George jumping on him, Alicia shrieked, "How dare you!", and Ron plunged his hand into his robes, pulled out his wand, yelling, "You'll pay for that one, Malfoy!" and pointed it furiously under Flint's arm at Malfoy's face.**

"I remember coming back to the dorms that day...wondering if you were right. If everyone was right. Wondering if I even had a place here, in this world. I thought about my house, thinking how I'd taken their acceptance of my heritage for granted. And above all, Malfoy, I questioned whether it was even worth it. I was ready to pack up and leave until Harry found out about the Chamber, and I had to help him. _I was ready to leave Hogwarts!_ "

Hermione saw shock mixed with pain in his eyes at her words, and glared at him in anger.

"Don't pretend that wasn't your intention, Malfoy. Don't try to pretend the poor, innocent and unknowing little boy when we both know that you wanted to drive me away." She hugged her arms around herself. "You still do..." She muttered, still edging on hysteria. She slipped down the wall, and smiled bitterly at the repeat of their situation. Why was she so weak around him? It was like he sapped all her strength, and then forced her to lay out her soul whilst he watched, unmoved.

There was a long pause whilst he processed what she'd said. And before she knew it, he was kneeling in front of her, eyes at her level. He spoke slowly, but his every word was punctuated with certainty and remorse.

"I will not insult your intelligence, or try to defend the person who said that to you. And I will not lie and tell you that your beliefs about my intentions back then are incorrect." He gripped her shoulders gently, and it was almost reassuring. "However, you are wrong if you think that's what I want now. I cannot justify it, or explain it to you, or even rationalise it to myself, but let me just tell you, _I don't want to be that person._ "

Hermione shrugged him off, refusing to meet his gaze, knowing she'd crack seeing those expressive eyes, gazing at her in pity, and regret.

"Fine." She said, not trusting herself to stay calm if she strayed from monosyllabic answers. She made to leave, but he called out.

"I'm sorry. You surprised me with your honesty, Gran-...Hermione, and thank you. But I am unquestionably sorry for what I did then. Can you forgive me?" His voice was almost too innocent. Like a little boy whose stolen a cookie from the jar, convincing his parents it wasn't his fault by preying on their Gryffindorish weakness of only seeing the best in their child. She stopped, and briefly hesitated.

"Give it time, Mal-...Draco. And as for me being surprising...you too, Draco, You too."

* * *

Dumbledore gazed in wonder at the image before him. His various gadgets could see all over the school, of course. How else would he support his image of omniscience? If only the girl had turned, she would have seen the Malfoy heir's nod of assent, before a wicked smirk covered his face. The Headmaster knew he ought to do something, but from past experience, he tended to just let things play out. All would end up as it should.

* * *

 _Hope you enjoyed!_

 _Hopefully I'm keeping you all on your feet about whether Draco is good or evil! It even became confusing for me in this chapter, and I know what's going to happen next!_

 _This was slightly shorter than usual, but I didn't feel right ending it anywhere else._

 _I hope you all enjoyed, and had a fantastic week so far!_

 _Please press that big button saying Review! Even if you don't have an account feel free to post Anonymously/as a Guest. I got more reviews than last time, but can always use more! :'( so please do! I'm not going to give up on you, it just makes me that little bit more happy every time I go to write a chapter, and it really does make my day! Only so can get some feedback as to my writing style and where to go, be it negative or positive!  
Thank you!_

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_


	6. PAST - Owe you nothing

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Harry Potter... (Although, like many here, I would gladly take it off of Rowling's hands if need be!)**

* * *

 _Hi there!_

 _Thank you so much to everybody who has favourited/followed! Thank you also to_ lovinreading _and a_ Guest _for your reviews!_

 _Do review, lovelies! A little click will honestly make my day._

 _Again: parts of the story in bold are directly from the book (I still take no credit for that)! Sorry if this bothers you but as I mentioned, this is my first story and I find it hard to find a starting point! I am currently doing weekly updates, but will let you know in advance if it's longer. (This one was a bit hectic!)_

 _So far keeping updates regular, but they will potentially slow down a tiny bit as we get deeper into the story. Any ideas and thoughts are appreciated! Without further ado..._

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_

* * *

PAST - Owe you nothing.

 **"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each — Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School!"**

 **The cheers and applause sent birds from the Forbidden Forest fluttering into the darkening sky.**

 **"In second place, with eighty points — Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!"** **More applause.**

 **"And in third place — Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!" Harry could just make out Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Ron, and Hermione applauding Fleur politely, halfway up the stands. He waved up at them, and they waved back, beaming at him.**

 **"So . . . on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!" said Bagman. "Three — two — one —" He gave a short blast on his whistle, and Harry and Cedric hurried forward into the maze.**

Hermione eyed Professor Moody suspiciously. She'd seen the direction he'd sent Harry in, and knew for a fact that he was not lying. Not quite the action of a rule abiding Auror. She felt her lips naturally purse in disapproval, and returned her attention to the maze, despite the little indication of what was going on behind its leafy walls.

She saw Ron, who was wide eyed with fear, but hiding it well. Except from her, of course. She felt a tinge of the bond, and realised that a part of her could sense Harry's terror, and she grabbed Ron's hand in fear, clutching it desperately. He looked at her, surprised by her need for comfort given her icy demeanour towards him since he'd abandoned Harry, and ruined her night at the Yule Ball.

She eyed Moody again, her suspicion about his sanity or his legitimacy bordering on certainty. It all added up. Even before this, there were signs and signs; Hagrid finding out about the dragons, Cedric finding out from him about the egg, and conveniently passing it on, Dobby delivering the Gillyweed. Honestly, Professor Snape must be furious about the recent thefts from his Potion stores, first the Gillyweed, then the Boomslang skin... _shit._

"I'll be right back, Ron." She assured the ginger next to her, and rushed off before giving him the chance to protest. She had little time as it was. She sprinted down the stand, ignoring the quizzical looks from friends and peers, only focusing on her one goal. She had to save Harry.

* * *

Draco was giddy with anticipation. His father had told him to 'Be ready.' Whatever that meant, he was determined not to disappoint. He was ready to follow in his father's footsteps, like he'd always been taught.

'Be ready.' It was cryptic, appealing to both Slytherin and Gryffindor tendencies of ambition and reckless courage respectively, giving enough information to tease, but not enough to know anything for sure. Lucius Malfoy was a perfect Slytherin. Draco, however, was merely hoping that Potter got hurt.

Merlin what was that? Draco stared in a mixture of awe, disgust and admiration as his easily recognisable, bushy-haired classmate blasted a hole in the side of the hedge whilst simultaneously warding off the teachers and most the students. Unfortunately for her, Draco knew enough that her basic wards could not stop him. He nodded briefly to Blaise, who was sitting beside him, excusing himself effortlessly from the situation.

The platinum blond pureblood moved swiftly and subtly, managing to make it to the hole in the hedge just as it was closing. He lunged, but it was too late.

"Granger!" He shouted, knowing it was useless. Draco stood for a moment, staring at the leafy wall before him, attempting to subdue it by sheer force of will, but eventually moved on, vowing to find out from the mudblood later what exactly she was trying to pull.

* * *

Hermione was ducking through hedges, furiously searching for Harry. She held her wand in her palm, and willed herself to glow.

"Point Me! I ask as I am called by my Blood Bond to Harry Potter! Remicus Figuli!" She repeated the words as if they were a prayer, and felt her stomach lurch as she mentally reached for Harry's location. "Oh god, Ray...It's always you. _Why is it always you?_ "

She took off sprinting down the path towards him, blasting through hedges with her empowered _Reducto_ curse, and striking down smaller monsters mercilessly.

"You shalt not pass!" Hermione was shocked out of her reverie, and looked up at the strange creature, with the head of woman, lower body of a lion and the wings of a great eagle. "You must answer a riddle!"

Hermione knew she didn't have time, but she also didn't have a choice.

"State your riddle, Sphinx." She announced, with barely a quiver in her voice, hiding her nervous anticipation with bold confidence. The monster's eyes glazed over, and it began reciting its riddle, voice monotonous and echoing.

 _"I heard of a word,_

 _Six letters it contained._

 _Once I took one away,_

 _and twelve was what remained._

 _What word did I hear?"_

Hermione's brain worked furiously. She began muttering under her breath in panic.

"Lose one letter and left with twelve...But the original word has six letters...Six letters! If you take a letter away, the word means something containing 12 objects. A five letter word meaning twelve, that's obvious...a dozen. So I need to add a letter to make it 6 letters long...an 's'." Hermione smiled to herself triumphantly.

"The word you heard was dozens. If you take away the 's' you are left with dozen, which means you have 12." Hermione declared.

"Well reasoned, child. Much faster than that other boy who came this way...honestly, that was an easy one." The Sphinx shook it's gruesome head in disappointment.

"Um...Mr...Miss...Uh...Sphinx? Did this boy possibly have jet black hair? Green eyes?" Hermione asked, anxious, but the Sphinx had already set itself off on a tangent complaining about 'slow minds' these days, and 'Quidditch addling the brains'.

The Gryffindor felt a tug on her core, and sprinted without thought. She was so close-

"Harry! Don't touch the cup!" She screamed.

* * *

Draco watched wide eyed, as Potter began babbling at the Headmaster, after having fallen from the sky clutching the cup and covered in blood. He had seen the red sparks earlier, and was not surprised to see Granger and Diggory stumbling out of the maze with Professor McGonagall. The muggleborn had sagged upon seeing Potter, and launched herself into his arms. They'd had a silent conversation, before Madame Pomfrey had pulled her off in order to treat him.

Granger still seemed to have a slight glow about her, and as if she could feel his eyes on her, she looked up to meet them. He raised his eyebrow in question, gesturing to her hands, and cocked his head slightly, and, understanding perfectly, she nodded. He twirled his wand subtly under his robe, and her glow vanished.

Now that problem had been diverted, what in Merlin's name happened?

* * *

Hermione was giddy with relief. Harry was okay. She'd shot a spell at the cup, and caused Cedric's hands to miss grabbing the handle, but Harry's fingertips grazed the side, then he was gone. She'd collapsed in exhaustion, before finding the will to shoot up red sparks. Her and Cedric had been escorted out of the maze, and she'd almost passed out with relief upon seeing Harry alive and more or less okay.

She grabbed him round the waist, and pressed her face into the clean area of his robes.

"Oh, Harry!" She muttered, and she knew he could hear the agony and relief mixed in her voice. She looked up at him, but was jolted out of her relief upon seeing his bruised face. Her eyes widened at the blood on his robes, but Harry's emerald eyes followed her line of sight, before looking straight at her in understanding. ' _Not mine.'_ He mouthed, and she sagged against him in relief.

"Come on, child. I need to heal him..." She could hear the dulcet tones of the school nurse whispering in her ear, but would not let go.

"Harry, Professor Moody is not who we thought he was. Don't go anywhere alone with him." She warned, then allowed herself to be dragged away, and leaned against the relatively unscathed Hufflepuff champion in relief.

She could feel eyes burning against her skin, and looked up to see the familiar sneering face of the Malfoy heir. His head was cocked in question, and he gestured to her hands. Shoot. She was still glowing. She nodded, almost imperceptibly, an felt the glow disappear.

Hours later, after she'd been debriefed, and the imposter caught, she was at the Astronomy tower. Strangely, she was sat in the same place she'd met Malfoy, not too long ago.

"Why'd you go back, Granger." His sudden appearance, that might once have shocked her, did not phase her. She'd learnt to expect this from him, during their occasional interludes. "Why and how did you blast a hole in a supposedly magic-proof maze, jump in, and completely crash the ancient and prestigious Triwizard Third Task?" Hermione snorted.

"Why do you even care?"

"Merlin knows, but what in the name of the Founders made you think your power was strong enough to deal with what was going on there. Yes you might have a bit of an advantage, but did you have any idea what you'd have been up against if you'd touched that cu-"

"You knew?!" Hermione snapped, suddenly furious. "You bloody arse, Malfoy. You could have ended the whole wizarding world as we know it by keeping that a secret, if Harry hadn't done what he'd done. What exactly did you know?" She was seething. He'd known. And she thought he'd changed.

"That is besides the point. The point is that you, mudblood, have got to stop messing with my head." His voice was filled with the frustration that she felt, and she could see the confusion and fury radiating from his stormy grey eyes. If he thought that was the point, he'd missed it just as badly as Ron had on that same day, months ago when he'd comforted her in the corridor.

"That goes two ways, Malfoy. You need to stop messing with mine. And unlike what you're suggesting, which is that I'm actively manipulating you - which I can only deny as I have no clue what you're going on about - I know for a fact you have been trying to mess with me from the start. You know enough about my secrets and weaknesses, that the fact you'd hide _anything_ from me, especially something this vital is out of order and despicable."

"Hang on a second, Granger! Don't be act so high and mighty with me. If you recall, _you_ tricked me by wording the vow in a way such that I do not know near half of this 'big secret'. You haven't been to open with me either, so you can stop acting like all your other _entitled_ and arrogant, Gryffindorish pals and grow up."

"Whatever witty retort you have stowed is irrelevant. Regardless of whatever you think about Harry, or even me, given everything, you should have tol-"

"Shut up." Draco growled. "Don't pretend you had or have any right to know, and don't deceive yourself into believing that 'I should have told you.' I've given you little reason to believe I would, and aside from that, you've given me little reason to trust you. _I owe you nothing._ If anything, you owe me. So you can just run along, 'cause you aren't getting anything from me." By the end he was almost shouting, and Hermione had unconsciously flinched away from his voice. She felt tears well in her eyes, and hated herself for leaving her so vulnerable that she lost her control. He was always one of the only people who could really make her cry, aside for Ron and Harry, of course.

"Go to hell, Draco Malfoy." She choked out, knowing he could hear her emotions but not caring enough to hide them. "Go to hell, and I swear if I never see you again it will be too soon." She stormed off, arms clutched around her, marching in the direction of Gryffindor tower.

* * *

Draco was seething. She marched up here, to his spot, with her self-righteous attitude, claiming a right to know things that simply weren't her business.

He'd lost some of her trust, but that was a minor setback. He'd regain it, along with the level of control he wanted over her. And he'd make her pay. And after that, he'd build her back up, just so he could break her once more.

* * *

Dumbledore watched the troubled teens once more. Part of him had always been faintly curious, and intrigued about the young muggleborn's impact on the war, but as her relationship with the Malfoy boy had grown, he began to worry her impact would do more harm than good.

* * *

 _Hope you enjoyed!_

 _Bit more drama here! Sorry it was a bit later than usual, had a pretty busy week._

 _This is the first real fight I've written, and I fear I'm not quick-witted enough to do Dramione justice, but regardless, I have tried._

 _I hope you all enjoyed, and had a fantastic week so far!_

 _Please press that big button saying Review! Even if you don't have an account feel free to post Anonymously/as a Guest. I got more reviews than last time, but can always use more! :'( so please do! I'm not going to give up on you, it just makes me that little bit more happy every time I go to write a chapter, and it really does make my day! Only so can get some feedback as to my writing style and where to go, be it negative or positive!  
Thank you!_

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_


	7. PAST - Good days end fast

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Harry Potter... (Although, like many here, I would gladly take it off of Rowling's hands if need be!)**

* * *

 _Hi there!_

 _Thank you so much to everybody who has favourited/followed! Thank you also to_ lovinreading _and a_ Guest _for your reviews!_

 _Do review, lovelies! A little click will just make my day._

 _Again: parts of the story in bold are directly from the book (I still take no credit for that)! Sorry if this bothers you but as I mentioned, this is my first story and I find it hard to find a starting point! This is the first chapter I've written without starting with one, and it was definitely a new experience._

 _I am currently doing weekly updates, but will let you know in advance if it's longer. This chapter was absolutely crazy, and thank god I got it out! I'm so sorry it's a bit late!_

 _I didn't realise until now, but my last update was exactly a month after I first posted...seems so much shorter!_

 _So far keeping updates regular, but they will potentially slow down a tiny bit as we get deeper into the story. Any ideas and thoughts are appreciated! Without further ado..._

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_

* * *

PAST \- Good days end fast.

Hermione was having a good day. She'd ambled down Diagon Alley at a leisurely pace, happily stopping to press her face against shop windows like a first-year, or peruse a book on display outside. It was a beautiful sunny day, completely living up to the hopes and expectation of the Brits on a July afternoon.

She'd strolled into Gringotts, and presented a rude and wrinkly goblin with her bright shiny key, withdrawn some galleons, and left with a smile and a polite "Have a lovely day!". Not even a goblin could dampen her day.

She'd sent a letter off to Harry (she'd been slightly put out by Dumbledore's insistence not to, but her brother had almost died, so she chose to _disregard_ his instructions), been invited to live with the Weasleys for the last few weeks of summer, and had already spent a week of the summer in Spain, immersing herself in the cuisine and culture. And today, finally, she was going to spend a relaxed day in the Wizarding Village, picking up her school supplies, reading in Flourish and Blotts, do a quick double pay shift at Fortescue's (the summers there were a money maker), and had plans to meet up with the Patil twins and Lavender at The Three Broomsticks afterwards.

She left the bank, her purse spelled with a combination of a Feather-Light Charm and an Undetectable Extension Charm. It was unlike her to bend the rules, but was there truly a rule against muggleborns creating magical items in term time, then using them in the Muggle World. After her 6th detailed reread of "Hogwarts: A History", and a quick perusal of "Hogwarts: Loopholes through the ages", Hermione was certain.

She'd thrown on a blue muggle summer dress, with orange and pink, geometric floral designs covering the flowing skirt, and the top clinging to her bust and her slim waist. She had a pair of sunglasses on, and was ready to have a perfect, hot day out.

It always starts that way, doesn't it?

She heard the bell above her ring slightly, as she opened the door to Flourish and Blotts. Hermione felt the aroma of both new and old books envelope her, and sighed in contentment. _Almost like home._ She waved cheerfully at Mr Fletcher, who ran the store during the holidays, and made her way to her usual seat, on a sofa under the window. She set her alarm in order to not be late, opened the book on Magical Psychology she'd been reading the last time she was here, and lost herself in it.

* * *

Draco was having a good day. He'd come for his school supplies, and after finishing the minuscule remainder of his list, he would spend an afternoon at Top Notch Quidditch Supplies. Whilst Draco was superior to his peers in many ways, there are some things that all wizards love.

He had no need to go to the bank, only requiring the house elf that was following behind him with his recent purchases and money bag.

He strolled aimlessly into Madam Malkins to pick up a robe he had specially ordered weeks before, before heading to Fortescue's for an ice cream. He had plans to meet Pansy there, and was looking forward to it, despite the slightly frosty demeanour he had received following the Yule Ball _incident_.

"Pansy!" He called in greeting, his voice not raising above a normal conversation tone. 'A Malfoy never shouts for others," Draco's father's words echoed in his brain. 'A Malfoy is served without so much as a sneer and a whisper'. He was right. Pansy's head snapped round at the sound of his voice, and a smile spread across her face. She approached him, giving a slight tip of the head, and smiled daintily.

"Draco." She acknowledged.

"Pans!" He did not noticeably whine, but her eyebrow still went up. "I know you're annoyed, but it was not that bad."

The dark haired Slytherin's eyes flared, and Draco realised he'd broken his 4th Cardinal Rule of Keeping a Girl Happy. _Never underplay a situation that seems frivolous._

"I mean..." He hastened to correct. "You have every right to be angry, I would just love it if you could forgive me for my almost inexcusable actions, and just enjoy a trip to Fortescue's with me." His voice was smooth, and incredibly persuasive. It was almost...hypnotic; an art he'd perfected over the years.

A smile lit up her face, and her eyes twinkled happily.

"You and your smooth tongue, Draco." She giggled as his shoulders slumped in disappointment, knowing he could never use his tricks on her.

"Let's go, Pans." He folded her hand into the inside of his arm, and escorted her to the colourful and pleasant parlour where dreams came true.

* * *

"Order up!" Hermione brushed her hands of on her hastily tied apron, before grabbing the sundae from the counter to deliver to the nearest table.

"Enjoy your dessert!" Her voice was light and cheerful, on autopilot. "Hope you have a sweet and colourful day!" She hovered briefly around other tables, ensuring no customers wanted anything else, before heading behind the counter where her boss stood, smiling at her.

Her employer, Florean Fortescue was not a young man, but he made up for his age with his spirit, and he was in no way past his prime.

"You're glowing! Good day, Hermione, dear?" Hermione smiled.

"The best, Mr Fortescue." she assured him, stealing a cherry from the bowl behind the counter, and quickly popping it in her mouth. If it wasn't Fortescue here, she wouldn't have done it, but her boss was ironically much more lenient than her supervisor.

The bell above the door tinkled, and Hermione called to her fellow waiter on instinct - Anthony Goldstein, a Ravenclaw - without turning to look.

"I'll take it. Don't worry."

She waited a moment for the customers to choose a table, then turned around. Her face scrunched up, and she flinched.

"Alright, dear?"

"Yes, just an old aquaintance." Mr Fortescue's face was a picture of confusion, but came to his own conclusion, seeing a pretty girl on the blond's arm. Hermione did not stick around to hear his assumptions, choosing instead to brush off her apron and grab her notebook. It seemed odd doing things the muggle way, but Fortescue claimed too much magic interfered with the process, and made it less enjoyable.

Hermione finally reached the table, which was inconveniently right in the window and a long trek from the counter.

"Hello! Welcome to Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour!" At the sound of her voice, Draco Malfoy's head snapped up.

'Don't recognise me...' she prayed, knowing it would be to late now anyway. She continued with her greeting.

"My name is Hermione, and I'll be your waiter today! Is there anything I can get you, or do you need more time?"

* * *

"Hello! Welcome to Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour!" At the sound of her voice, Draco Malfoy's head snapped up.

'No way,' Draco thought. 'The mudblood? A little serving girl?'

"My name is Hermione, and I'll be your waiter today! Is there anything I can get you, or do you need more time?"

Pansy's head snapped up too, and Draco watched as a sinister smirk spread across the girl's face.

"Granger?" Pansy sneered in disbelief, spitting out the name with disdain. "How did a filthy mudblood like _you_ manage to get a job at a fine _wizarding_ establishment?"

Draco watched smugly, as the mudblood began breathing deeply, and her hand flitted towards her wand before she stopped herself.

"Is there anything I can get you?" She repeated, still attempting to sound cheerful through gritted teeth, but her recovery wasn't stopping Pansy, and it sure as hell wasn't going to stop him.

"Well, mudblood, we _would_ like a new server, since you're _obviously_ mediocre at best when it comes to customer satisfaction...you wouldn't want us to get you fired? Would you, _sweetheart?_ " Draco watched in satisfaction as Granger flinched away from him, his words like bullets, and merely gaped at him. Pansy was glaring at her with a sort of smug satisfaction, and merely began to peruse her menu.

* * *

The Gryffindor shook herself out of her reverie, growling to herself. He wanted polite? Well she would give it to him, with a spoon of saccharine sweetness on the side.

"My sincerest apologies, _sir,_ I will strive to do better." She looked him right in the eye, her smile deadly sweet as she raised her notebook once more. "Is there anything I can get you today, sir?" And for good measure, she added a mocking curtsy.

"Insolent bitch..." Malfoy ground out under his breath, but she refused to lose her smile.

"Triple Creme Chocolate Sunday with every colour sprinkles you have," Parkinson cut across him, "and Draco will have a Coffee Dream with chocolate sauce." Then Parkinson merely raised a hand and waved Hermione away, looking at Malfoy expectantly.

Hermione almost burst out laughing; you could see who wore the pants...robes in that relationship. She stared at him as she left, mocking his lack of control, but he ignored it, choosing instead to make small talk with the girlfriend from hell.

"Granger!" A voice shouted as soon as she was in the kitchen. Her supervisor, Mr McHalner. How Fortescue could hire such a moody and prejudiced supremacist was beyond her, but she just had to do what she had to do to keep her job.

"Yes, sir?" She tried to keep the venom out of her voice, but judging by his expression, was more than marginally less successful than she'd originally thought.

"That right there, was Draco Malfoy, son of one of our top benefactors here." Didn't he think she _knew_ that? Whilst the image of Lucius Malfoy funding an ice cream parlour was slightly disturbing, she'd known everything about this place and more before she applied. Probably the reason she even got the job.

"Yes, sir, I was aware, and would just like to prepare his order as to not displease him." Her supervisor's face scrunched up in acknowledgement, and he ground out.

"Fine. But you'd better be right back here as soon as you're done, do you understand me?" Hermione mmhmed in assent, before handing in her order, and she waited.

"Order up!" The voice came, minutes later. She put the sundaes on her tray, and made the trip to their table.

"One Triple Creme Chocolate Sunday with every colour sprinkles we have here," she listed, placing one in front of Parkinson, "and one Coffee Dream with chocolate sauce." She stood straight, and after the confirmation they wanted nothing else yet, along with a haughty look from each of her classmates, she was on her way, despite her prayers that they would at least keep her from the kitchen for a bit longer.

"Granger? You done yet?" McHalner was harsh and uncaring, and Hermione didn't want to know what she'd clearly done to anger him.

"Yes, sir, how can I help you?"

"If I went over to that table right now, and asked about the service, would I get good comments?"

"Sir, I was on my best behaviour?" Inside, she was panicking.

"That wasn't my question."

"Hopefully, but potentially not, as Mr Malfoy and I are classmates, and he...hates me. I can't guarantee as he might likely imply I should be fired, to get revenge on my friend, Harry, his worst enemy."

"Excuses..." Hermione's eyes widened in panic, as he strode out into the parlour, heading straight for Malfoy's table, and she hurried after him.

* * *

Draco frowned as he saw a large man storming towards their table, with Granger hurrying after him, eyes wide with fear. From that look alone he knew she'd not reported them for their slurs against her, quite the contrary, it seemed she was afraid of the large man coming towards him.

"Mr Malfoy," The man said, shaking his hand, "I'm Mr McHalner, and I am one of the Senior Managers here."

"Pleasure to meet you, McHalner, what can you do for me?" Ever the Malfoy, proud and regal, Draco waited.

"I would just like to ask you a few questions about your service today."

"Ask away."

"Miss Granger assures me she was polite, but given your family's importance to this firm, I would just like to confirm that you and your girlfriend," he gestured towards Pansy, "were not displeased with the service.

Draco looked at Pansy, and they were in the same boat. 'We want her in our debt,' her eyes confirmed.

He could see her eyes staring at him, begging him not to ruin this for her, but he just smiled.

"Little bit rough around the edges," she flinched, then slumped, clearly resigned to her fate. "But overall, excellent, polite and cheerful service, very becoming of this establishment."

"Yes, certainly." Pansy agreed. She held out her hand, "Pansy Parkinson." She simpered, falsley, and McHalrin's eyes widened in realisation as he acknowledged how important these customers were.

From Draco's perspective, the man seemed a little disappointed he couldn't reprimand her, but recovered quickly.

"Good, Good, Mr Malfoy. Don't worry about these, they're on the house." He indicated the sundae. "I will leave you in Miss Granger's _capable_ hands." And he strode off, leaving Granger wide eyed, and shocked. She made to leave, but Draco grabbed her wrist, making sure he squeezed hard enough to leave the mark of his house ring embedded in her skin, but not hard enough for her to complain to higher powers.

"We had a little _discussion_ last year, that showed I owe you nothing, but now, mudblood, you sure as hell owe _me_ something. Welcome to hell. You told me to come here, and ironically, I'm sure as hell going to drag you down with me."

* * *

Hermione flinched at his words, before nodding in acceptance.

"Malfoy?" She asked quietly, and he looked up. "Thank you."

She walked off, all the while thinking, 'I was having such a good day."

* * *

Draco smirked. Only he could manipulate her to the point where she was thanking him for putting her in his debt. And it was only going up from here...yes. Today was a good day.

* * *

 _Hope you enjoyed!_

 _Slightly less eventful than usual, but don't worry. In the next few chapters, we'll meet Umbridge properly, and it will be full of action._

 _J.K Rowling, in all her genius, never really showed us the aftermath of any of the more violent confrontations, so I've taken a guess at Draco's and Hermione's reactions. Although, I suppose that's what fanfiction is really about, right?_

 _I hope you all enjoyed, and had a fantastic week so far!_

 _Please press that big button saying Review! Even if you don't have an account feel free to post Anonymously/as a Guest. I got more reviews than last time, but can always use more! ;) so please REVIEW! I'm not going to give up on you if I don't get a certain number, it just makes me that little bit more happy every time I go to write a chapter, and it really does make my day! Only so can get some feedback as to my writing style and where to go, be it negative or positive!  
Thank you!_

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_


	8. PAST - I hold with those who favour fire

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Harry Potter... (Although, like many here, I would gladly take it off of Rowling's hands if need be!)**

* * *

 _Hi there!_

 _Thank you so much to everybody who has favourited/followed! No reviews though :( Please do review! It just makes me feel that little bit better about writing these chapters! Also - it's great to hear what you're getting from a different perspective, so I know if I need to adjust my writing. Let me know what you think will happen next!_

 _Do review, lovelies! A little click will just make my day._

 _Again: parts of the story in bold are directly from the book (I still take no credit for that)! Sorry if this bothers you but as I mentioned, this is my first story and I find it hard to find a starting point! There is very little with Draco in it for this one, but he will be big in the next chapter I promise!_

 _I am currently doing weekly updates, but will let you know in advance if it's longer. I was lucky to get this one out of time - last week was a bit late so I tried this week!_

 _So far keeping updates regular, but they will potentially slow down a tiny bit as we get deeper into the story. Any ideas and thoughts are appreciated! Without further ado..._

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_

* * *

PAST - I hold with those who favour fire.

 **He caught a brief glimpse of a gloomy high-ceilinged, twin-bedded room, then there was a loud twittering noise, followed by an even louder shriek, and his vision was completely obscured by a large quantity of very bushy hair — Hermione had thrown herself onto him in a hug that nearly knocked him flat, while Ron's tiny owl, Pigwidgeon, zoomed excitedly round and round their heads.**

 **"HARRY! Ron, he's here, Harry's here! We didn't hear you arrive! Oh, how are you? Are you all right? Have you been furious with us? I bet you have, I know our letters were useless — but we couldn't tell you anything, Dumbledore made us swear we wouldn't, oh, we've got so much to tell you, and you've got to tell us — the dementors! When we heard — and that Ministry hearing — it's just outrageous, I've looked it all up, they can't expel you, they just can't, there's provision in the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Sorcery for the use of magic in life-threatening situations —"**

 **"Let him breathe, Hermione," said Ron, grinning, closing the door behind Harry. He seemed to have grown several more inches during their month apart, making him taller and more gangly looking than ever, though the long nose, bright red hair, and freckles were the same.**

Hermione winked at Harry, knowing her meaning was clear.

'Do not tell them I wrote to you properly. You have to blow up.' She gestured frantically with her eyes, trying to relay the message by nudging their bond slightly, desperately willing him to understand. He nodded slightly in acquiescence.

"Oh...so _now_ you care about my well being?" Harry tossed the words at Ron, with the intent to hurt him. Hermione blinked, before raising her eyebrow in approval. He'd improved...that's for sure. And Harry's words did their job. Ron recoiled, and made to respond, but Harry cut across him.

"I mean...writing a whole informative letter is just so much _effort,_ isn't it...? Especially when it's for someone who is only getting the Daily Prophet and only knows that a good amount of the Wizarding World thinks he's crazy. I'm sure you were too busy living in said person's godfather's house with your family and friends to have time." Hermione knew what she had told Harry to do, but the words were spoken to bitterly for it to all be fake. She knew that, despite her letters, he was hurt Ron didn't try to find another way to share information with his so-called best mate.

"Mate, that's not fa-" Ron began to protest, only to be cut off once again.

"Who exactly do you think you're talking to? You want to tell me about what's " _fair_ "? Me, whose parents were killed before I could talk...who lives with relatives who hid the secret of magic, and calling me a freak when my power was revealed..." Harry's voice was building up in a crescendo, and he was almost shouting. "Me who has had countless attempts on my life since I was 11, and has faced Voldemort three times...me who was entered into a life threatening tournament against my will, only to be abandoned by my 'best mate', and used to bring back my parents' murderer...me who was attacked by dementors, and is going to go to trial for _saving my cousin's life._ Think about it, Ron."

With that, Harry stormed off, leaving both Ron and Ginny, who'd walked in after hearing the shouting, taken aback by the force of his rage. Tears had started to pour down Hermione's cheeks, as she heard the pain in her brother's voice, knowing similar words would have to be directed at her, in order for their secret to remain one. Oh Merlin, _Harry!_

She sprinted up the stairs, hoping to avoid the inevitable blow up, and prayed Harry wouldn't break anything.

"Harry," she started, ever the concerned, maternal friend. "You're not being fair. Dumbledore sai-"

"I don't care what Dumbledore, in all his greatness, told you to do. You lot are supposed to be my best friends, and you betrayed me in the worst way."

"Harry, you're being irration-"

"Shut up, Hermione! Not everything is all logic and sense, you know?"

 _Ouch._ That one had hurt. Hermione felt rage well up inside her. That cut too close to the core for her to separate it, and to see it as merely part of the plan.

"You see here, Harry James Potter." Said boy flinched at his full name. "You can argue this case all you want, but let's not forget how this all happened. For almost all the times your life has been threatened, we've been right there fighting beside you! First year? I'm not sure if you recall, but that wasn't just you? Who sacrificed themselves in a game of chess to save you? Who found out what the bloody stone was in the first place? Who was forced to face all the obstacles once again as they ran back to warn McGonagall and Dumbledore? Second? Who brewed the Polyjuice Potion? Who snuck into the Slytherin common room with you, then into the Chamber of Secrets later? Who got _petrified_ after being the only one to discover the basilisk's secret? Third? Who was willing to throw themselves between you and an alleged murderer? Between you and a _werewolf?_ And in the tournament last year? Who stuck with you?"Hermione internally apologised to Ron for that one, but part of her thought he deserved it. Just a little bit. She continued.

"Who taught you _every_ spell they could possibly find that you may need to help you survive? And who secretly broke into an international competition's final task, and battled the same monsters you did, in order to at least try to make it to the cup to warn you? Don't pretend you're fighting this battle alone, Harry, it's plain stupid." She ended her tirade panting heavily, and allowed Harry to gently wrap her in his embrace. She leaned into his chest, and he rested his chin on the top of her bushy curls. "You're not alone, Ray." She whispered.

"I know, Mia. I know." He whispered.

* * *

Draco was having not having a good summer. The episode at Fortescue's still brightened his day whenever he thought about it. Sad...yes...but it was always a good day when you got one over on the mudblood, and on top of that, his influence over her employment excellent blackmail material.

His father had revealed the Dark Lord's return, and the Malfoy part of him was relishing in the fact. The great wizard he'd heard so much about, had aspired to be like, had returned. And according to his father, the years of loyalty - that is, planting moles in the Ministry for the Dark Lord's purpose - had earned Draco a place by his side. To have the greatest wizard in the world as a mentor...every wizard's dream.

But his real dilemma was the non-Malfoy part of him. He didn't know where it came from, or how it survived so long, but he was beginning to take over. Draco had the bothersome headache that always accompanied the act of convincing yourself of something. Especially when the part of you that was convincing, wasn't entirely sure itself.

And he was trying to convince himself that he wasn't beginning to be the tiniest bit attracted to the bushy-haired bookworm. He'd always admired her, yes, as had everyone. Even in a mudblood, intelligence was coveted. But feelings were not part of the equation.

His plan seemed to be working, as she subconsciously began believing the best of him instead of the worst. But...there's always a but. His odd one-liners originally intended to confuse her or manipulate her began to make him reconsider, and her witty and insightful responses were beginning to make an impact. Damn her to hell.

He thought back to his time at the ice cream parlour.

'Better not have screwed up my plan too much...' He thought out loud. 'The satisfaction was impossible to refuse, but if she stops telling me about her...condition'

Funny that Potty or Weasel didn't seem to know. Then it struck him. _Who else knew?_

Little did he know, the short list was about to get longer.

* * *

"Now, Miss Granger. What was it you wanted to tell me?" Minerva McGonagall was not surprise to receive a letter from the girl, as they regularly communicated, discussing everything from politics to Wizarding terms that were unfamiliar to the Gryffindor girl. The professor had recognised a talent in the muggleborn witch from her first year, when she'd become quite the celebrity in the staff room. Severus Snape himself said that she was 'not completely incompetent'. Of course, he followed that with 'for a Gryffindor', so whether it was a compliment or not was unclear.

The woman had become somewhat of a mentor to the girl, and met with her several times over the year to offer her feedback and further, more challenging tasks to try. She watched the girl squirm in her seat, and repeated her question.

She watched Hermione sit up in her chair, clenching her fists and trying to control her breathing. Minerva smiled. It was a technique she recognised, having used it many times to reassure herself in the past.

"Professor, I haven't been entirely honest with you." Her tone was embarrassed and guilty, and she flinched after hearing the words. Minerva pursed her lips, giving her favourite student the benefit of the doubt. _Not_ a good way to start.

"Not to say I've lied to you," she continued, "but I have omitted some information I was not sure I could safely tell you until now."

Minerva sat up in her seat, recognising the urgency ringing through the girl's tone. They were in the library at 12 Grimmauld Place, and she stopped the girl with a gesture, and waved her wand in a wide circle.

"Silencing and Notice-Me-Not charms." She explained briefly, gesturing for Hermione to continue.

"With all due respect, Professor, I need an oath you will not reveal this information to anybody without direct permission from me. If it is an impersonator, the oath will not allow it." Minerva nodded in consent, lifting her wand and swearing accordingly.

Seemingly satisfied, Hermione removed her wand from a small compartment in her sleeve, and placed it on the desk. Minerva nodded approvingly. _Even when underage she is more cautious of safety than most adult wizards._ She was touched by the trust the girl clearly had in her.

"Well, I think it's just easier to show you." Minerva watched carefully as her student screwed her eyes shut in concentration, and waited. She was just about to interrupt when she saw it. A faint glow was radiating from the girl's hands, and they were getting brighter by the second.

"Miss Grang-"

"Wait!" Hermione insisted, and wandlessly, she began waving her arms in intricate patterns, and McGonagall watched as the room began to grow more ornate, books floating in the air and dusting themselves off, before rearranging themselves. The shelves shined, newly polished, and the corners of the ceiling were devoid of dirt. There was a faint scent of almonds in the air.

"Sorry about the smell, Professor, I'm working on that bit." Minerva's jaw felt slack in disbelief. She'd accomplished all that, wandless and undetected by the Trace, and merely apologised for a side effect of magic that was not perfected. She would never understand this girl...

"Miss Granger, I think you ought to explain."

"Before I do, Professor, you should know. It's both a blessing and a curse. It's like...like fire and ice. My personality is fiery, but this power, it's intoxicating and cold as ice. Neither fire nor ice are _dark_ , and neither are good. They just are. And I haven't worked out whether the fire will melt the ice, or the ice will put out the fire.

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 _Hope you enjoyed!_

 _This is more perspective to prepare for the eventful fifth year - an interlude, if you will. Fifth year will be in more detail that third/fourth, as my 'Present Day' starts during fifth year, and there will be a big build up. I hope I'm not making Hermione too unbelievably powerful, but I am basing this more on the concept 'the higher you rise the further you fall', so if you're put off by that, **don't worry,** it won't stay that way completely. It will get toned down throughout.;)_

 _The fire and ice analogy was partly inspired by the poem by Robert Frost. I recommend it. It's also the namesake of the chapter..._

 _I hope you all enjoyed, and had a fantastic week so far!_

 _Please press that big button saying Review! Even if you don't have an account feel free to post Anonymously/as a Guest. Didn't get reviews last time, so please REVIEW! That button right down there!_

 _I'm not going to give up on you if I don't get a certain number, it just makes me that little bit more happy every time I go to write a chapter, and it really does make my day! Only so can get some feedback as to my writing style and where to go, be it negative or positive!  
Thank you!_

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_


	9. PAST - But he had, so he didn't

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Harry Potter... (Although, like many here, I would gladly take it off of Rowling's hands if need be!)**

* * *

 _Hi there!_

 _Thank you so very much to everybody who has favourited/followed!_

 _Thanks to_ lovinreading _for your review. I'm getting there, but it's not going to be the cliché "Hermione is a pureblood with powerful parents"... It's a bit more complicated than that. Hopefully this A/N will smooth out your confusion...we'll get to the root of Hermione's power quite soon though so hold on!_

 _Please do review! It just makes me feel that little bit better about writing these chapters! Also - it's great to hear what you're getting from a different perspective, so I know if I need to adjust my writing. Let me know what you think will happen next!_

 _To those who don't quite understand, here's what we know so far:_

 _1\. Hermione has a mysterious power that is only known by Draco Malfoy, Professor McGonogall and herself. The causes/root of it, and its effects are yet unknown._

 _2\. Details of that power are not entirely revealed, but it tend to manifest itself by making her body, predominantly her hands, glow._

 _3\. Draco Malfoy is on a personal mission to manipulate, confuse and win over Hermione Granger, and is still set on it, despite slight doubts edging through. He is mixing insults with warnings and feigned concern, in order to confuse her into believing his loyalties are jaded._

 _4\. Draco has sworn an oath of secrecy to Hermione in return for the truth about her power, but both found loopholes. Draco knows how to break the oath Hermione chose to use (pureblood thing), and Hermione refused to tell him everything as there was no time limit to the oath._

 _5\. Hermione and Harry are blood-siblings, and have kept their connection a secret from Ron. Hermione feels obliged to protect Harry (who she fondly calls "Ray"), and therefore has not revealed her power._

 _6\. During the Triwizard Tournament Third Task, Hermione broke into the maze after working out Moody's true identity, and managed to save Cedric, but not Harry._

 _6\. Dumbledore is watching the blossoming of the slightly unhealthy friendship, and has a growing concern._

 _7\. Draco is close friends with Pansy, who has shown signs that she likes him romantically._

 _8\. Whilst not specifically stated, Voldemort did return, and the Ministry has turned lots of the Wizarding World against Harry._

 _Hope that's put things more clearly if you were confused!_

 _Do review, lovelies! A little click will just make my day._

 _Again: parts of the story in bold are directly from the book (I still take no credit for that)! Sorry if this bothers you but as I mentioned, this is my first story and I find it hard to find a starting point! There is very little with Draco in it for this one, but he will be big in the next chapter I promise!_

 _I am changing to do updates every two weeks - I have so much work that weekly is too frantic to get a good standard chapter. Will let you know in advance if it's longer, but if I'm honest I'm more likely to update early than late._

 _So far keeping updates regular, but they will potentially slow down a tiny bit as we get deeper into the story. Any ideas and thoughts are appreciated! Without further ado..._

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_

* * *

PAST - But he had, so he didn't.

 **Thank you, Headmaster,' Professor Umbridge simpered, 'for those kind words of welcome.'**

 **Her voice was high-pitched, breathy and little-girlish and, again, Harry felt a powerful rush of dislike that he could not explain to himself; all he knew was that he loathed everything about her, from her stupid voice to her fluffy pink cardigan. She gave another little throat-clearing cough ('hem, hem') and continued.**

 **'Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!' She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. 'And to see such happy little faces looking up at me!'**

 **Harry glanced around. None of the faces he could see looked happy. On the contrary, they all looked rather taken-aback at being addressed as though they were five years old.**

 **'I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!'**

 **Students exchanged looks at this; some of them were barely concealing grins.**

 **'I'll be her friend as long as I don't have to borrow that cardigan,' Parvati whispered to Lavender, and both of them lapsed into silent giggles.**

 **Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again ('hem, hem'), but when she continued, some of the breathiness had vanished from her voice. She sounded much more businesslike and now her words had a dull learned-by-heart sound to them.**

 **"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down the generations lest we lose them for ever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching.'**

 **Professor Umbridge paused here and made a little bow to her fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back to her. Professor McGonagall's dark eyebrows had contracted so that she looked positively hawklike, and Harry distinctly saw her exchange a significant glance with Professor Sprout as Umbridge gave another little 'hem, hem' and went on with her speech.**

Hermione willed her dagger sharp glare to pierce through the woman's skull, and sighed when she was unsuccessful. She had listened to every word of the toady-faced woman's "speech", if it could even be called that, and was well aware of what her future actions would entail. Damn the ministry's interference. She glanced absentmindedly around the room to see if any other students had picked up on Umbitch's harsher undertones.

She briefly looked over to the Hufflepuffs, and met Cedric's eyes. He nodded in assent to her unspoken question, his eyes dark with fury. She scanned the Ravenclaw table, noting that many of them seemed to grasp the meaning. She reluctantly turned to the Slytherin table, and was unsurprised to see that, not only did most of them understand the woman's aims, but they were also _pleased_ with them.

"Despicable snakes." She muttered under her breath, and the Gryffindors around her looked up questioningly. " _Don't_ look now," she emphasised, "but by the look on their faces, we can safely say that every single one of those snakes is going to take advantage of our dear, new _Professor's_ biases this year."

Her housemates scowled. Despite the fact that many of them refused to believe Harry's claims, none of them liked the new regime.

Hermione felt eyes on her, and looked up to see Malfoy burning holes in her flesh. He gestured briefly towards the head table, and sneered at her. Her eyes narrowed to slits, and she ground her jaw together. The corner of his lips turned up in a smirk when he registered her irritation and, goal accomplished, he turned back to his friends.

"Malfoy especially." Hermione added, turning to Harry. He nodded sombrely. The events in the graveyard had mellowed his personality, no doubt, and if his nightmares were any indication, he still had not recovered. Hermione squeezed his hand under the table in comfort, and he smiled gratefully, before continuing to eat.

Half an hour later, Hermione saw Malfoy leave the Hall, and excused herself to follow.

* * *

Draco heard footsteps behind him, and turned expectantly, only to see the mudblood behind him, eyes alight with fury.

"What do you know?" She spat.

"Now, Granger," he said, patting her head condescendingly. She flinched away, clenching her fists. "Let's not forget who's in whose debt now...hmm?"

She began trembling with rage, and Draco raised an eyebrow at her control. No glowing at all. Impressive.

"When did Little Miss Know-it-all learn how to control her glow?"

"That's irrelevant." She huffed. "Don't insult my intelligence by trying to change the subject - what do you know?"

"Not that easy."

"Please...it's important." There was a slight whine to her tone, and for some reason it angered him.

"Don't you think I _know_ it's important, Granger? Though, I didn't think you'd be ready to beg so quickly. Learning your place, are you?"

"I know my place, Malfoy." She hissed, her voice acidic and cutting. "My place is miles above _you._ " Her words were intended to hurt, but they missed the mark.

"Are you trying to convince me to share information, or are you trying to insult me? You can't have both, and either way, you're going to have try a lot harder than that." He could see his words' effect on her, and he smirked in satisfaction. It was nice to know that, despite all their differences, he could still jinx her very last nerve.

* * *

Hermione wanted to cry. He was being deliberately obtuse, and she didn't have time for it. She knew he knew something. She could tell from his not-so-subtle glances at her in the Great Hall, each holding that same gloating triumph, that he thought he was winning their war of wits and struggle of power. She had to know. From his glances next to her, his information clearly had an impact on Harry, and she wasn't about to risk his safety.

"Are you trying to convince me to share information, or are you trying to insult me? You can't have both, and either way, you're going to have try a lot harder than that." He was infuratingly correct, and Hermione braced herself for the impact her next words would have.

"Tell me right now, or you will see exactly how much control over my power I have." She ground out.

"That's more like it, _firecracker_! Give me a bit of _attitude_!" His voice rang with triumph, and she just prevented her shoulders from slumping in shame. He could see right through her bravado, but she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction. She lifted her hands up, and willed them to glow. It was a skill she'd been working on with McGonogall during the summer, and when she had the control over her emotions, she could will them to glow and dim at will. She slammed him against a wall, before lifting one hand up in preparation.

"Go on, firecracker. Attack a poor, defenceless and wandless peer. Prove you're no better than I am." Hermione knew it was weak, but she took the bait and stepped back. "Aww...poor little Granger couldn't do it. Too much _integrity?_ Or are you so attracted to me that you couldn't bear to hurt me?" Hermione looked up at him in shock.

* * *

'Really Draco?' His subconscious criticised. "I know we're trying to confuse her, but what were you thinking?" He'd have to just go with it. Her reaction shocked him.

"But of course, Malfoy." She deadpanned, voice completely emotionless. "There is nothing I would like more than to become the future Mrs Draco Malfoy and have lots of little blond and frizzy-haired babies with little grey eyes." Draco snorted, and she let a small snicker of her own escape. For a moment of peace they simply laughed. Then it dawned on them who they were with. He flinched away from her, and she raised an eyebrow at him.

Yes, he knew why Umbridge was here. His father had warned him to get on her good side straight away, especially if he wanted real training for his O.W.L.s. Apparently the woman had orders to torture Potter, diminish his support, give no real training in active defensive magic, and eventually replace Dumbledore. And Draco was ready to take full advantage of Potter's fall. Granger, however, could be easily manipulated by this.

"If you really want to know, come to the Astronomy Tower at 11pm."

"Is this becoming a habit when you have information to tell me, Malfoy?" She asked, cockily. He rolled his eyes.

"Leave." She recoiled at his harsh tone, but surprisingly obeyed. He waited for her to vanish out of sight before pausing in thought. Who would've known Granger had a sense of humour?

If he hadn't despised her before that moment, he probably would have started liking her. But he had, so he didn't.

* * *

 _Hope you enjoyed!_

 _That's Umbridge then - she gets worse. Another Dramione confrontation, and we're only a few chapters away from getting to present day._

 _Draco has quite errant mood swings right? I always thought he seemed like the type to do so - anyone else?_

 _If anyone can guess what series my last sentence/chapter title was based on, I will give you a metaphorical hug, and then favourite one of your stories._

 _Please press that big button saying Review! Even if you don't have an account feel free to post Anonymously/as a Guest. I got more reviews than last time, but can always use more! ;) so please REVIEW! I'm not going to give up on you if I don't get a certain number, it just makes me that little bit more happy every time I go to write a chapter, and it really does make my day! Only so can get some feedback as to my writing style and where to go, be it negative or positive! **REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**  
Thank you!_

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_


	10. PAST - A Productive Evening

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Harry Potter... (Although, like many here, I would gladly take it off of Rowling's hands if need be!)**

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xx xx xx

* * *

 _Hi there!_

 _Thank you so very much to everybody who has favourited/followed!_

 _Thanks to_ Smokezombie96 _for your review. I'm so glad you like it - and don't we all?_

 _Also thanks to a Guest for reviewing - most confusion I'm trying to smooth out as I write later chapters and the A/N last chapter should help you out if you're still a bit lost!_

 _Please do review! It just makes me feel that little bit better about writing these chapters! Also - it's great to hear what you're getting from a different perspective, so I know if I need to adjust my writing. Let me know what you think will happen next!_

 _Last chapter:_

 _1\. We met Umbridge - isn't she awful! I love it! I've only ever read one or two stories where she is a good guy, which is understandable - she's just such a fantastic villain. Any recommendations for "Good Umbridge" fanfictions are welcome though!_

 _2\. Hermione worked out that Draco knew something and is trying to interrogate him._

 _3\. Draco does know Umbridge's purpose, and despite his and Hermione's shared moment of humour and awkwardness, is still trying to manipulate her._

 _4\. Dramione are planning on meeting in the Astronomy Tower tonight to share information._

 _Do review, lovelies! A little click will just make my day._

 _Again: parts of the story in bold are directly from the book (I still take no credit for that)! Sorry if this bothers you but as I mentioned, this is my first story and I find it hard to find a starting point! There is very little with Draco in it for this one, but he will be big in the next chapter I promise!_

 _It seems like it's been a while (only two weeks!), but I'm hoping the chapters will be better quality now that I have a bit more time! Right now I'm really busy, but you guys are on my priority list!_

 _So far keeping updates regular, but they will potentially slow down a_ _tiny bit_ _as we get deeper into the story. Any ideas and thoughts are appreciated! Without further ado..._

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_

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xx xx xx

* * *

PAST - A Productive evening.

Hermione stared at her watch, tapping her foot impatiently as the second hand leisurely glided over the large "6", and willing the hour hand to hit the eleven. She had no idea what this meeting would hold.

There was something about Malfoy that simply... _unnerved_ her. It was the undertone to his voice, and the subtly obvious triumph ringing through his voice whenever she conceded. There was no denying he had a certain level of power over her, but she refused to believe she was so easily manipulated.

"I am not easy to manipulate." Hearing her own voice out loud in its quiet determination was enough to shock Hermione out of her reverie. She shook her head quickly to clear it and massaged her temples with her forefingers.

"Cute you think so, Granger. Though I never placed you as one to drive yourself mad by talking to yourself..." Hermione flinched at the sudden interruption, hearing the sneer which was evident in his voice.

 _Speak of the devil._ The object of her confusion was walking towards her, already smirking at the slight blush colouring her cheeks.

"There is nothing wrong with talking to yourself, Malfoy. Besides, who said I was?" It was a cheap shot, and they both knew it. He quirked an eyebrow in arrogance.

"Pathetic, Granger. Especially for you." She looked away, knowing he was right. Desperate to move on, she changed the subject.

"Regardless, let's talk about why we're really here. What do you know?"

"I know plenty. Don't try to pretend you're in control here, _firecracker_ _._ We both know who has the power in this exchange." Hermione bristled as he spat the nickname out, his voice making the word sound dirty and mocking. That bloody nickname was beginning to get on her nerves.

"Exchange? What _exactly_ do you want?" She felt her anger growing, partly due to his snark, but mostly because she knew he was right. She had no power in this agreement, and she felt helpless.

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xx xx xx

* * *

Draco smirked. She was so hopelessly naïve sometimes...

"Of course it's an exchange. You came her because you wanted information. You can't get something for nothing, Granger." Draco watched in satisfaction as an angry and embarrassed flush bloomed from her cheeks. Those poor Gryffindors are so out of place when it comes to the real world.

"Fine." Still acting like she has the power, ever the proud little lioness. "What do you want?" The words sounded just as sweet to Draco's ears the second time, and he relished in them.

"There are many things I'd like, actually. A new broom, maybe. Possibly a new set of ro-" She cut him off.

"Don't play around, Malfoy."

Draco smiled again. She was easy to aggravate, and despite her earlier adamant insistence, she was also incredibly easy to manipulate. He had a lot of decisions to make. She already owed him one from Fortescue's this summer, and collecting another debt like that would cause trouble later. The obvious choice would be to ask for information, seeing as Pansy prevented him from doing so last time, but he didn't want to waste a golden opportunity on something he'd get eventually anyway.

"What do you think I want, firecracker?" She barely missed a beat.

"Fortunately," she spat, "I have just the thing. Information for information. Fair exchange. There's plenty you want toknow as well." She was good, but he was better. He'd play around a bit, not show her he was interested. Patience was a virtue.

"What information are you suggesting?" The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. Clearly, despite the fact he had mastered many skills, virtues and talents, patience was not one of them. He just had to know. Simple as that - he didn't like not knowing.

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* * *

Hermione resisted the urge to mimic his signature smirk. She hadn't won yet, but she was confident she'd have the Slytherin Prince eating out of the palm of her hand before the year was out.

"Well..." She elongated the syllable, in her best imitation of his Slytherin drawl. It rather suited her, if she did say so herself. She willed her right index finger to glow (another thing she'd been working on), and continued. "There's just _so_ much to tell." Hermione punctuated each syllable with a wave of her finger, causing waves of bright blue sparks to flick off of it and surround her, bathing her in an almost ethereal light.

To an outsider it would be a fascinating image. Her power made the winds swirl around her, causing her hair to imitate that of a goddess as it was freely swept around her. Her eyes glinted in satisfaction and power, and her robes were billowing around her in a way that would look pretentious on anybody else, but suited her just as well as her power did. She looked like a goddess, but Malfoy didn't even flinch.

"Indeed there is, Granger. Let's start with how you learnt to control that bright and flashing problem of yours..."

Hermione smirked. It was almost becoming a habit around him, but as much as it tore at her to admit it, she rarely had the upper hand over him. She worked harder, yes, but he had years of experience in this world that she would never catch up to. He had galleons upon galleons to spend on widening his knowledge that he could use at his leisure. And on top of that, he was a Slytherin. It grated on her nerves, but when it came to confrontation, whilst Gryffindors had the brawn and sheer recklessness to follow up, Slytherins had the sneaky ways out, and the ways to come out on top.

"Right after you tell me _exactly_ what Umbridge's purpose is, Malfoy. And nothing I already know, or that she directly implied in that little speech of hers. And you must tell me nothing but the truth." He didn't need to ask the same of her - when it came to her " _bright and flashing problem"_ of hers, as he called it, she had no choice about her honesty. She could either tell the truth or say nothing at all...at least she had _that_ loophole.

"Well, well, well, firecracker. Looks like you've got yourself a deal." He intoned.

And at 3 am, after they'd spoken for hours, she'd retire to her room with one single thought in her head.

'That was a productive evening.'

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* * *

Draco woke leisurely the next morning. It was officially a school day, but seeing as all the Hogwarts house elves had a slight compulsion to obey him due to his father's position, and seeing as Defence Against the Dark Arts was his first lesson, there would be no real consequence if he had a lie in.

He was anxious in anticipation for this lesson. He'd been set back by the information he had shared with the mudblood, but she was limited in what she could share. She could try to control Potter, but everyone knew how out of control he was. Even with her level of influence over him - which was undoubtedly higher than almost anyone in the school's, including the senile old headmaster - even she could not talk him out of this one.

Potter was going down, and Draco would be at the sidelines eating Pumpkin Pasties, watching the whole scene unfold.

He stretched, being sure not to jostle the curtains around his bed. Despite his father's influence, things like private rooms at Hogwarts could not be bought. The castle was too sentient to allow such blatant bias. Even Snape knew that if he passed a certain point, his house point deductions would not register. And nobody wanted to explain that to Dumbledore.

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* * *

"You're being ridiculous, Lavender! What reason could he possibly have to _lie?_ Don't you think he's been through enough without his _friends_ accusing him of faking trauma and the return of a bloody, psychopathic murderer? Well?" Hermione was furious, seething, boiling...you get the picture.

"No need to be rude, Hermione," said girl protested, "I'm hardly the only one."

"Like that justifies it, you stupid cow. Voldemort's not the only one who believes in blood purity, but that doesn't exactly endear him to me. What about you?" The other girls in the room gasped at her casual use of the name, and Lavender flinched.

"Listen here, Grange-" The blonde girl threatened, making for her wand.

"No you listen here, _Brown._ " Two could play at that surnames game... "I'll thank you to keep your big fat mouth shut about Harry Potter, or else, you will have me to deal with. And Harry might have faced that noseless bastard in duels before, and won over and over, but let me tell you this." Hermione lowered her voice, not letting any regret at her words seep into her voice, and refusing to feel guilty about the threat she was making. "Harry has _never_ beat me in a duel."

Without waiting for an answer, Hermione flounced out, making sure to hit Lavender in the face with her bushy locks as she left. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Parvati nodding in agreement, and was relieved her roommate's friendship with the ignorant bitch she'd just threatened hadn't dampened the Indian girl's intelligent intuition, or her sense of judgement.

As she walked down the stairs from the girl's dorms, she heard raised voices in the common room.

"What's going on?" She exclaimed.

 **Seamus reckons Harry's lying about You-Know-Who," said Ron succinctly, when Harry did not respond.**

 **Hermione, whom Harry had expected to react angrily on his behalf, sighed.**

 **"Yes, Lavender thinks so too," she said gloomily.**

 **"Been having a nice little chat with her about whether or not I'm a lying, attention-seeking prat, have you?" Harry said loudly.**

 **"No," said Hermione calmly, "I told her to keep her big fat mouth shut about you, actually. And it would be quite nice if you stopped jumping down Ron's and my throats, Harry, because if you haven't noticed, we're on your side."**

 **There was a short pause.**

 **"Sorry," said Harry in a low voice.**

 **"That's quite all right," said Hermione with dignity.** She gripped his hand firmly. "Remember to stay calm, Harry. Don't let her get to you." There was no question about who she was talking about.

"Easier said done, Mia. Easier said than done."

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 _Hope you enjoyed!_

 _I was going to stop after the Astronomy Tower episode, but kept going because I love you! And I felt bad about changing update frequency...-_-_

 _Please press that big button saying Review! Even if you don't have an account feel free to post Anonymously/as a Guest. I got more reviews than last time, but can always use more! ;) so please REVIEW! I'm not going to give up on you if I don't get a certain number, it just makes me that little bit more happy every time I go to write a chapter, and it really does make my day! Only so can get some feedback as to my writing style and where to go, be it negative or positive! **REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**  
Thank you! See you in two weeks!_

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_


	11. PAST - No match for a Malfoy

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Harry Potter... (Although, like many here, I would gladly take it off of Rowling's hands if need be!)**

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xx xx xx

* * *

 _Hi there!_

 _Thank you so very much to everybody who has favourited/followed!_

 _Thanks to_ JayBat _for your review. I hope my reply smoothed things over, and I've actually written the explanation for Hermione's power, and that should come up either next chapter or the one after._

 _Also thanks to_ Writer Wisher _for reviewing - all in good time... I love most Dramione stories I read to bits, but my personal favourites are quite gradual to make it more realistic. I might be taking it too far, but the way I've written Draco is such that true Dramione will take a while, but Hermione's side is a bit easier to include. As for the sibling bond: their reasoning is explained in the second chapter, but in short it's the sense they are each other's magical family. That bond is not as significant as Hermione's power, but will come in handy later._

 _Furthermore, (I forgot to mention last chapter), thank you a million to my first two author favourites; Simione88 and MsReader2016! Great to know you guys like my writing! Also thanks for your insightful PMs - you know who you are!_

 _Please do review! It just makes me feel that little bit better about writing these chapters! Also - it's great to hear what you're getting from a different perspective, so I know if I need to adjust my writing. Let me know what you think will happen next!_

 _Last chapter:_

 _1\. Draco and Hermione met at the Astronomy Tower, and negotiated a deal for exchanging information; Hermione wanted info on Umbridge and Draco wanted to know more about Hermione's power._

 _2\. More of Hermione's power, and its control were revealed._

 _3\. Hermione defended Harry against Lavender, and they are due to meet Umbridge._

 _Do review, lovelies! A little click will just make my day._

 _Again: parts of the story in bold are directly from the book (I still take no credit for that)! Sorry if this bothers you but as I mentioned, this is my first story and I find it hard to find a starting point! There is very little with Draco in it for this one, but he will be big in the next chapter I promise!_

 _It seems like it's been a while (only two weeks!), but I'm hoping the chapters will be better quality now that I have a bit more time! Right now I'm really busy, but you guys are on my priority list!_

 _Just to confirm due to confusion: I update every two weeks on_ ** _Wednesday._**

 _So far keeping updates regular, but they will potentially slow down a_ _tiny bit_ _as we get deeper into the story. Any ideas and thoughts are appreciated! Without further ado..._

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_

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PAST - No match for a Malfoy.

 **When everyone had copied down Professor** **Umbridge's three course aims she said, "Has everybody got a copy of** **Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"**

 **There was a dull murmur of assent throughout the class.** **"I think we'll try that again," said Professor Umbridge. "When I** **ask you a question, I should like you to reply 'Yes, Professor Umbridge,'** **or 'No, Professor Umbridge.' So, has everyone got a copy of** **Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"**

 **"Yes, Professor Umbridge," rang through the room.**

 **"Good," said Professor Umbridge. "I should like you to turn to** **page five and read chapter one, 'Basics for Beginners.' There will be** **no need to talk."**

 **Professor Umbridge left the blackboard and settled herself in the** **chair behind the teacher's desk, observing them all with those pouchy** **toad's eyes. Harry turned to page five of his copy of Defensive Magical** **Theory and started to read.**

 **It was desperately dull, quite as bad as listening to Professor Binns.** **He felt his concentration sliding away from him; he had soon read the** **same line half a dozen times without taking in more than the first few** **words. Several silent minutes passed. Next to him, Ron was absentmindedly** **turning his quill over and over in his fingers, staring at the** **same spot on the page. Harry looked right and received a surprise to** **shake him out of his torpor. Hermione had not even opened her copy** **of Defensive Magical Theory. She was staring fixedly at Professor Umbridge** **with her hand in the air.**

Hermione willed her face to remain impassive as her arm began to tingle. She stared directly at the toady-old-lady, ready to obliterate her. Harry turned to her with surprise, and she shook her head surreptitiously willing her message into his head. _'_ _Don't you dare rise to the bait, Harry Potter, I swear.'_ Her inner voice echoed throughout her head, and she glared him into submission as he opened his mouth to speak.

She returned her focus to Professor Umbridge, so intently focused that she almost missed the platinum blonde flash as Malfoy turned towards her, staring quizzically. She deliberately ignored him, choosing instead to remain with the book closed on her desk, back straight and rigid, legs crossed daintily and arm straight up, defiant in its intent.

She waited minute after minute, watching out of the corner of her eye as, one by one, each of her classmates turned their attention to the silent battle going on before them. She lifted her chin up, refusing to back down, and she felt her Gryffindor peers - even Lavender who'd she'd threatened just that morning - raising up theirs in solidarity and support. Even some Slytherins were intrigued by the power struggle that their house if any would be the most aware of.

Then, to her shock and surprise, Draco Malfoy, the boy she'd been up until early hours talking with, raised his hand as well. His pose was neutral, and his face as emotionless of her; he gave no indication whether his raised hand was to be in support or disrespect of her own.

"Yes, Mr Malfoy." A sickly sweet voice asked, mere seconds later. It took all Hermione's strength not to shake with anger, and she clenched her fist under the desk to relieve her anger. She glared at Harry in warning, sensing his protectiveness immediately.

"Mada-...Sorry... _Professor_ Umbridge..." Malfoy spoke smoothly, his tone one of respect. If anyone else had attempted the same, you would have described it as simpering or cooing, but on a Malfoy, those terms could not be further from the truth. "My sincerest apologies for interrupting your lesson, but I would just like to say on behalf of _many_ in my house, that we are so glad the Ministry have seen fit to provide us with a such a competent and impressive teacher. My father says he's heard nothing but praise of your abilities from the Minister..." He trailed off, pretending to be unaware of the positive, and beaming expression on the woman's face. Umbridge looked gleeful beyond belief.

Hermione finally broke her promise of impassiveness, rolling her eyes at his blatant flattery.

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If Draco Malfoy had been anyone else, he would have felt sick to his stomach twice over for having to flatter such a frumpy old woman, but fortunately, he was not out of practise when it came to charming those who were not the most appealing of people. He could sense Granger's fury from across the classroom, and sent her a smug smirk whilst Umbridge preened at his words. His father's instructions were clear.

"She already knows the Malfoy's support this Minister, Draco, you need only confirm it and set an example for all your other Slytherin classmates."

Draco waited patiently for Umbridge to stop her embarrassing display before she responded.

"Well Mr Malfoy, it's refreshing to see that _some_ people in Hogwarts appreciate all the Ministry is doing for them." The statement was sweet, but there was a bitter undertone directed at Potter. Surprisingly, he just shrugged it off...Merlin's sake, Granger! She warned him...Umbridge would be suspicious.

Draco watched Umbridge's smug smirk slip off her face as she realised Potter wouldn't do anything. She sighed and looked towards Granger, who still had her hand up, and had regained control over her anger. He saw Umbridge finally give up before he heard-

"Yes, Miss _Granger,_ is it?"

"Yes, Professor." Her voice was ever the epitome of respect. She would have made a good Slytherin.

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"Do you seem to have a problem with my simple instructions, _dear?_ " Hermione kept her cool, despite the direct insult. She'd planned exactly how to do this.

"I had a query about your course aims." Umbridge gestured for her to continue. "You see, Professor, according to the O.W.L. syllabus, we need to know how to perform defensive magic, but there's nothing in your course aims regarding the practise of magic."

"Well Miss Granger, if you study the theory hard enough, I'm _sure_ you will perform fine in the examina-"

"You mean we're not using magic? _At all?_ " Seamus's Irish accent rung through stronger in each syllable.

"Please raise your hand Mr...?"

"Finnegan." Seamus said, raising his hand as he spoke. Umbridge ignored it. Hermione tried again, raising her hand completely calmly.

" _Yes,_ Miss Granger." Umbridge huffed, betraying her annoyance.

"Professor, after seeing Mr Slinkhard's name on the book list, I took the liberty of reading other books, given he's such a _riveting_ writer. I thought it would be a great way to become fully informed and _on board_ with everything our new Ministry is doing." Hermione swore she heard a faint snort from the Slytherin side of the room. Definitely not Malfoy, his composure was too unbreakable. Definitely male - perhaps Zabini.

Regardless, she continued as if uninterrupted. "His excellent book, "Underage Magic: Restrictions and Theories" had a chapter discussing the magical ability of students our age. According to him, in order to master a spell at an underdeveloped age, you need to have it ingrained in your magical core memory, which can only be done by practising beforehand." Umbridge was wide-eyed and shaking in a combination of fury and shock.

" _Miss Granger!_ " She exclaimed, but Hermione did not miss a beat.

"Given our magical core's and abilities are not as _advanced_ as that of a powerful witch, such as yourself..." Hermione smiled, charmingly. She could flatter just as well as Malfoy, but her intention was not to flatter this toady woman, but to mock her with enough plausible deniability that she could stay out of trouble. "...and given that, I'm not sure we could quite manage to do the practical spells correctly the first time. Unless you believe all of us to be exceptionally special and powerful wiza-"

" _NO!_ " Umbridge screeched, all but jumping up and down in panic. The whole class went silent in shock at her sudden outburst. She blushed at regained control over herself. "Detention, Miss Granger."

"Merlin, Professor! Whatever for? My sincerest apologies if I insulted you - that was not my intention." Hermione reverted to "panicked-perfect-student-schoolgirl" mode, and Umbridge bought it, smiling in victory. Too bad it was to be short lived.

"For trying to...undermine the authority of a Hogwarts Professor...hmm...and for...inappropriate rudeness towards a Hogwarts Professor."

'Gotcha!' Hermione cheered for herself inside; the Professor couldn't have picked a worse excuse. But she had to keep faking.

"I'm so sorry, Professor, I didn't mean to be rude." She bit her lip, as if about to cry. "I'm sorry, this never happens to me. I have so much respect for all the teachers her an what they do..." She punctuated this with a dramatic sniffle. "I wouldn't-... I didn't-..." She could feel the students around her looking up from their fake reading and glaring at Umbridge. There was one thing you didn't do as a teacher if you wanted to be validated at this school, and that was undermine Hermione Granger. The students views had not yet been decided, but it was not favourable from anyone in Gryffindor, and even some Slytherins.

But sometimes, making Umbridge look bad to others was not enough. Sometimes the most satisfying manipulation is when the victim (a loose term in this case, as the woman was anything but) begins to question their own judgement. So Hermione went for the unexpected. After all, that's the best way to catch somebody off guard. The unexpected.

"I'll happily come to make it up in detention tonight." She sniffled again. She deserved an Oscar for this performance! "It won't h...happen again." Sometimes you just had to pretend you were beaten. Umbridge stared at her, as if she was expecting more of a fight from the fiery, muggleborn best friend of the 'problematic Mr Potter'. Then again, she was probably confused enough as it was by Harry's lack of reaction. Hermione smirked internally at her victory.

"Today at 7.00pm, Granger." Hermione did not miss the convenient leaving out of the 'Miss'.

"Yes, Professor." Impassive again.

"And no more talking back - have you even read the textbook page?" Hermione looked up in confusion, as did everybody else in the class. Did this woman just ask if Hermione Granger had read the textbook? Immediately, every single person's opinion of the woman dropped. Slowly, steadily, subconsciously, but surely dropped. Slytherins and Gryffindors alike looked at the woman in absolute shock.

"I always read all the books set for the year before September, Professor." Her voice was that of a pristine little girl, and with a twirl of her finger under the desk, a stream of light circled her head, reminiscent of a halo, making her eyes look wide and innocent. At that moment, the bell rang, and each student in the room left to feed the Hogwarts Rumour Mill. Hermione Granger got a detention...for _beating_ Professor Umbridge.

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Draco had to give it to her; Granger was good. As the class rushed out, he stayed behind, lurking in the shadows and watching her as she waved off Harry and approached the front desk. Umbridge had left the course aims up - presumably for the next class - and was sitting behind her desk.

"Professor Umbridge?" He heard her voice. Good as she thought she was, she was still predictable.

"What now, girl?" Umbridge's voice was predictably exasperated. Kill her with kindness? What a Gryffindor plan?

"I would just like to apologise again; it was just the eager student in me reading ahead and worrying about exams, I didn't mean to offend you or attempt to undermine anything. I was just trying to be a good student." Draco could hear the feigned despair in her voice, and despite only being able to see Umbridge (and her look of distaste) from his position, he could easily imagine her sly, deceitful innocence.

"I've had just about enough of you, Granger." Umbridge spat, standing.

"Professor..." Said girl began again, but she was cut off.

"I know what you're doing: trying to make me a fool in my own classroom, but know this." Umbridge slammed her hand on the desk, and Granger flinched back. "I have the power here. I have the Ministry on my side. And I will always... _always_ be worth more than some muggleborn trash like you."

Draco watched Granger grow taller as Umbridge mentioned her blood status - rookie mistake. If there was one thing that lit Miss Firecracker's fuse it was mentioning her parentage.

"I suppose I could say the same about you: you're here to undermine Harry and Professor Dumbledore, and whatever you think you can do, and whatever power you think you have, just know that I don't take kindly to threats, Professor." She said, her voice even. The Gryffindor was matching Umbridge like the ultimate Slytherin, threat for threat, mirroring her words with dagger sharp words of her own. "And before you call me a young girl, just know I will do whatever it takes to defend my friends." Winds began to flow around her. She'd probably said too much - if she'd wanted to use this memory against Umbridge, it had backfired terribly. She stalked off, sparing a glance at the rest of the classroom, but not seeing him hiding, then paused.

"See you later, Professor. Maybe." She paused. "Actually, maybe not. I don't suppose you're actually expecting me to show up to your farce of a detention?" She flounced out, and he heard her footsteps rattling down the corridor. He followed her stealthily until she stopped to compose herself.

"Wow, firecracker." He snarked. "Somebody got an aggression makeover. Although," His hand ghosted up to his nose, reminiscing, "you may have just been that way all along..."

"I don't have time for your games Malfoy. What do you want?"

"Nothing much, really. Just a little conversation - honestly, you're supposed to be smart. Speaking of which," he cocked his head at her in mock-disbelief, "You actually found more of his books? Really? This is taking teachers' pet to a whole new level..."

"No actually, it was a bluff. I figured she hadn't checked him out, and my facts were true, even if they were from a different book.

"Confessing to lying to a Professor. Quite some nerve from someone who just threatened a teacher?" He sniggered at her surprised glare. "'I don't take kindly to threats.'" He imitated her lofty voice, and smirked.

"Malfoy." Her voice was flat and cautious. "How much did you hear?"

"Ah, ah, ah." Draco reprimanded, mockingly. "I think I'll ask the questions here, don't you agree? It's time to end this once and for all. I saw enough to get you in big trouble for threatening a teacher, even if she threatened first. On top of that, I now have a witness. If our _dear_ Madame Umbridge got the idea that I knew something, convincing her innocently to check with Legilimency would not break our oath, would it, firecracker? So you're going to tell me the full story. Don't cut corners or find loopholes; this is not a deal or exchange. This is blackmail, plain and simple, and let me just tell you: you're no match for a Malfoy."

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 _Hope you enjoyed!_

 _It's coming. Next chapter you'll finally get the reveal about **most** of Hermione's power. It's written and ready, so look forward to it. _

_This chapter, I wanted to see what would have happened in the Granger-Umbridge power struggle had Harry not butted in. I prefer those rare scenes in the book, but more so in fanfictions, in which Hermione shows her devious side - let me know how you think I did! I also wanted to begin to hint at Draco's admiration, so I hope you got that!_

 _The ending was awful I know - don't hate me - but I'm not delaying the explanation. This time it will happen. And you'll here it. Sorry if it's anticlimatic, but the build up was so fun and exciting to write that the pressure for the explanation it was too much. If you've read similar stories it's not the same old - there are plenty of twists - but there will be things you may recognise. Hope I pleasantly surprise you, two weeks from now._

 _I hope you all enjoyed, and had a fantastic week so far!_

 _Please press that big button saying Review! Even if you don't have an account feel free to post Anonymously/as a Guest. Didn't get reviews last time, so please REVIEW! That button right down there!_

 _I'm not going to give up on you if I don't get a certain number, it just makes me that little bit more happy every time I go to write a chapter, and it really does make my day! Only so can get some feedback as to my writing style and where to go, be it negative or positive!  
Thank you!_

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_


	12. PAST - Revealed

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Harry Potter... (Although, like many here, I would gladly take it off of Rowling's hands if need be!)**

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 _Hi there!_

 _Thank you so very much to everybody who has favourited/followed!_

 _Thanks to_ writer wisher _for your review - Glad you like it!_

 _Also thanks to_ MysticFire101 _for reviewing and messaging with (probably) the most enthusiastic and positive support I've had so far!_

 _Thanks to_ Smokezombie96 _for your review - I hope this chapter meets your incredibly generous expectations!_

 _Furthermore, thank you to everybody who has favourited or followed my story, and thank you for your insightful PMs - you know who you are!_

 _Please do review! It just makes me feel that little bit better about writing these chapters! Also - it's great to hear what you're getting from a different perspective, so I know if I need to adjust my writing. Let me know what you think will happen next!_

 _Last chapter:_

 _1\. Hermione and Umbridge had a power struggle, which ended in Hermione faking defeat to play the innocent victim._

 _2\. Draco knows something about Umbridge's purpose, and is already getting on her "good" side._

 _2\. Hermione threatened Umbridge, oblivious to a certain blonde Malfoy heir spying nearby._

 _3\. Draco finally has enough leverage to force Hermione to tell him the true story._

 _Do review, lovelies! A little click will just make my day._

 _Again: parts of the story in bold are directly from the book (I still take no credit for that)! Sorry if this bothers you but as I mentioned, this is my first story and I find it hard to find a starting point! There is very little with Draco in it for this one, but he will be big in the next chapter I promise!_

 _It seems like it's been a while (only two weeks!), but I'm hoping the chapters will be better quality now that I have a bit more time! Right now I'm really busy, but you guys are on my priority list!_

 _Just to confirm due to confusion: I update every two weeks on_ ** _Wednesday._**

 _So far keeping updates regular, but they will potentially slow down a_ _tiny bit_ _as we get deeper into the story. Any ideas and thoughts are appreciated! Without further ado..._

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_

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PAST - Revealed.

"Ah, ah, ah." Draco reprimanded, mockingly. "It's time to end this once and for all. I saw enough to get you in big trouble for threatening a teacher, even if she threatened first. So you're going to tell me the full story. Don't cut corners or find loopholes; this is not a deal or exchange. This is blackmail, plain and simple, and let me just tell you: you drew the short straw."

He watched in smug satisfaction as her shoulders slumped in defeat, and he couldn't help but smirk at the pathetic look on her face.

"Although," he mused. "That was quite the Slytherin performance, Granger. I'm not sure whether to be impressed at your new found sneakiness or disappointed that you got caught." She rolled her eyes and merely grabbed his wrist, dragging him the short way to the Astronomy Tower.

"Sit down." Her voice was monotone. Draco bit back the snarky comment about her bossiness that was on the tip of his tongue, and obliged.

"You're held by your oath." Draco nodded briefly, pleasantly amused by the fact she had not thought to renew the oath. It was a weak oath compared to usual wizarding ones, and was easy to break. Too bad she didn't know...She continued. "It's a long story..."

"There's no time like the present."

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Hermione took a deep breath, and began to tell her story.

"Let me start by saying - I'm a muggleborn. No secret genetic inheritance included. My... _gift..._ so to say, was completely earnt." She ignored his scoff, but continued uninterrupted. "When the four founders, Lady Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin and Gryffindor, created Hogwarts, they created a sentient being. Each breathed life into this castle - have you ever noticed? When there is enough urgency...if you're late to class or running to the infirmary...the stairs do not obstruct your path."

"What does this have to do with an-" He began, but she quickly cut him off.

"I told you it was a long story, and since you blackmailed me into doing this, the least you can do is save questions for the end," she snapped. He nodded briefly in assent, and she continued.

"Well, as well as this, each founder was the master of three arts of magic. Godric Gryffindor was a master in Transfiguration, Divination and Ancient Runes. Rowena Ravenclaw was a master of Charms, Arithmancy and Theory of Magic. Salazar Slytherin was a master of Potions, Flying and Care of Magical Creatures. And finally, Helga Hufflepuff was a master of Herbology, Alchemy and Defence Against the Dark Arts." She raised an eyebrow at his look of surprise.

"Hufflepuff?" He scoffed. "Defence?"

"Why does _everyone_ always underestimate Lady Hufflepuff?" She exclaimed, exasperated. "You know she was the one to originally create Hogwart's protection wards - the teachers only reinforce them in an emergency.

"Everyone's underestimating _may_ be something to do with the fact they wear _yellow!_ " The Malfoy heir pulled a face, and she slapped the back of his head, in scolding.

 _Shit._ She froze. That was way too familiar...too...Harry and Ron. He didn't skip a beat.

"Continue, Granger. Enough messing about." She nodded in assent.

"Well, each founder bestowed a gift upon the school, each to do with the talents they'd mastered. Slytherin left his Chamber of Secrets, with the Basilisk under his control due to his mastery of Care of Magical Creatures. The chamber was originally intended as a safety precaution, should the school ever be attacked, back when the students of the school were predominantly purebloods. It was blocked off by the Parselmouth sink by Voldemort half a century ago.

"Ravenclaw left her secret library, only to be found by the truest and purest of inquisitive hearts, which she granted with her mastery of Theory of Magic. The library is rumoured to have 3 branches; knowledge of the past, knowledge of the present and knowledge of the future.

"Gryffindor left the Sorting Hat, created using his knowledge of Transfiguration, Divination and Ancient Runes. It foresaw the greatest, most significant act the child would commit, and based on that would send them to a house. The logic became warped as people began only following the traits of their own house, whilst losing out on the others.

"And Lad-...Hufflepuff left a gift, using her mastery of Alchemy and Defence Against the Dark Arts. This gift offered many strengths, and also many weaknesses. This gift was to be bestowed on any number of students who proved themselves worthy. But to prove their worth, they had to prove themselves not only worhty of Helga's gifts and values, but that of each and every founder."

"Don't tell me. You proved yourself? How exactly did y-" She smiled, embarrassed, and blushed before cutting him off.

"We will come to that later. I assume you know what the gift does, given you recognised the glow." She tried to trick him into revealing his knowledge, but he didn't buy it.

"This isn't about me, this is about you. So I don't give a Thestral's arse what you think I know, you're going to tell me everything anyway." Hermione flinched at his tone, and lowered her head in submission. It was like he'd said; he had all the cards.

"You know of the glow." She willed it to her fingertips, and played with the orb of light that appeared, weaving it through her fingers, still keeping her chestnut eyes locked onto his own grey ones. "It's hard to explain.

"A child's magical maturity is based on the strength of the links between the strands of Pure Magic in the core. The approximate age where 90% of the Wizarding World's children reach the maximum strength of these links is seventeen, hence our age of magical majority. I wasn't lying when speaking to Umbridge." She quickly corrected herself at his raised eyebrow. "I was lying about the content of the book, but I _had_ honestly heard of it and my facts about imprinting spells on your magical core were very accurate. Back to the topic at hand.

"When the gift is first bestowed, the control you have over it depends on the magical maturity of the receiver. I was at the end of first year when I received it, with my magical maturity underdeveloped, and the links between my Pure Magic strands sparse and virtually nonexistent. Despite my efforts, very little of what I'd learnt was easily imprinted on my core, as I said previously. That iss why I have always wondered how they expect us to stay sharp after the 8 weeks of summer where magic is technically prohibited." Hermione rolled her eyes at his knowing smirk, but watched in satisfaction as Draco nodded in agreement, and made a mental note to bring that up later. She continued nonetheless.

"So the gift was out of control to begin with, causing strong bouts of accidental magic or glowing at any height of emotion. To avoid these bursts of power causing damage to me or to others, the gift _created_ the Glow, so to say.

"The Glow is directly linked to the activity of my magic core; in fact, it's effects are mimicked by the Magicis Telam Potion, which is used on young children to show them their magic, or on Alchemy Apprentices and Unspeakables to assist Magical Mapping. Before I controlled it, the Glow used to represent my overtly active magical core after I received the gift. Now...now my willing the Glow to appear helps me connect with my magical core, and therefore my wandless magic." She created a light breeze around them to demonstrate her point.

"Granger, with all due respect to the Founders of Hogwarts, why is the only thing I've seen you do make nice winds and breezes. Seems kind of pathetic."

"Everytime I try to do more without a wand, it blows up in my face, literally. Seamus Finnigan style. With a wand I can now maintain several complex charms and spells that are far beyond N.E.W.T. level, thanks to the wisdom lady hufflepuff granted me." He nodded, accepting her answer. But the questioning was far from over.

"That's all well and good, Granger, but what about Ravenclaw's library. As much as I hate you, an inquisitive spirit is part of what you're known for."

Hermione shook her head in disappointment.

"I'm applicable for Lady Hufflepuff's gift for various reasons that I will come to, but according to records, Ravenclaw's library can only be accessed by one of magical blood. I don't exactly fit the bill."

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There was a comeback on the tip of his tongue, but he held himself back.

He needed her to trust him to hear the rest, but as for his progress that very day. Well...Draco was ecstatic.

However, despite all his feelings urging him against it, he couldn't help but pity the small slip of a muggleborn girl who'd managed to surpass many in terms of logic, magical ability and sheer determined commitment, but was still restricted by herself.

"I'm sorry, Granger." He murmured, his voice low, and she looked up in surprised astonishment.

"You...You...I...We...Sorry..." She hesitated, and he fought to keep his smug smirk hidden as he watched her flounder. He saved her from her misery, much to his disappointment.

"Well then...how did you earn it, Granger? Hufflepuff's gift."

"lady hufflepuff's gift...to earn it. It's complicated. You see...Helga Hufflepuff. She was a muggleborn."

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 _Whew, I wrote it. The big reveal. It's ending was, unexpected, even for me!_

 _Hope you enjoyed! It's shorter than usual, but a lot happened._

 _Sorry if it's anticlimatic, but the build up was so fun and exciting to write that the pressure for the explanation it was too much. If you've read similar stories it's not the same old - there are plenty of twists - but there will be things you may recognise. Hope I pleasantly surprise you._

 _I've always hated people underestimating Hufflepuffs. I myself am a Slytherin (a particularly Ravenclawish one, but Slytherin nonetheless), but have always respected them. Seems a shame that she is left out so much, but I hope I've spiked some interest._

 _I hope you all enjoyed, and had a fantastic week so far!_

 _Please press that big button saying Review! Even if you don't have an account feel free to post Anonymously/as a Guest. Thanks so much to everybody who reviewed, but there's always room for more, so please REVIEW! That button right down there!_

 _I'm not going to give up on you if I don't get a certain number, it just makes me that little bit more happy every time I go to write a chapter, and it really does make my day! Only so can get some feedback as to my writing style and where to go, be it negative or positive!  
Thank you!_

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_

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	13. PAST - Change

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Harry Potter... (Although, like many here, I would gladly take it off of Rowling's hands if need be!)**

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 _Hi there!_

 _Thank you so very much to everybody who has favourited/followed!_

 _Thanks to_ JayBat _for your review - Glad you like it! Sorry about the cliffhanger - felt like the right place to stop. As for your question - you'll see..._

 _Also thanks to_ MysticFire101 _for reviewing - and I thought you couldn't get any more enthusiastic! Still the most positive support I've had so far!_

 _Thanks to_ morganna12 _for your review - I'm thrilled you're enjoying it; if you liked that reveal, just you wait..._

 _Thank you_ Smokezombie96 - _I hope this Draco has a bit more of a contrast! Glad you like!_

 _Thanks to_ writer wisher _for your review - Happy you appreciate it. However, I have made it quite hard for myself to get there so just hold out a little longer!_

 _Furthermore, thank you to everybody who has favourited or followed my story, and thank you for your insightful PMs - you know who you are!_

 _Please do review! It just makes me feel that little bit better about writing these chapters! Also - it's great to hear what you're getting from a different perspective, so I know if I need to adjust my writing. Let me know what you think will happen next!_

 _Last chapter:_

 _1\. Hermione finally had to give in to Draco's leverage, and the reveal began._

 _2\. Hermione reveals that she was not born with her power, but had to earn it._

 _3\. She tells Draco a story of the founders, and the mastery talents they brought to the school; Hufflepuff, surprisingly, was responsible for DADA and Alchemy._

 _4\. Hermione also tells him that each founder brought a gift to the school, and that Hufflepuff's gift was the power she earnt at the end of her first year._

 _5\. The glow is revealed to be a harmless outlet for the powerful gift to manifest itself, until Hermione reaches Wizarding majority and can control it. It helps her connect with her core and perform wandless magic._

 _6\. Unfortunately, due to her magical maturity level, Hermione cannot do as much with her wandless magic as she will be able to in the future. She does reveal that when channelling through a wand she was able to maintain several impressive feats of magic._

 _7\. Finally, in an amazing twist (amazingish?), as Hermione explains how she earnt the gift, she reveals to Draco that Helga Hufflepuff was muggleborn._

 _This chapter, we have part two of three of the reveal._

 _Do review, lovelies! A little click will just make my day._

 _Again: parts of the story in bold are directly from the book (I still take no credit for that)! Sorry if this bothers you but as I mentioned, this is my first story and I find it hard to find a starting point! There is very little with Draco in it for this one, but he will be big in the next chapter I promise!_

 _Sorry for the late update, but I've had a crazy week!_

 _Just to confirm due to confusion: I update every two weeks on_ ** _Wednesday._** _This chapter is late - I know sorry! - but usually I do it punctually! To make up for it, I may try to do the next update earlier than usual!_

 _So far keeping updates regular, but they will potentially slow down a_ _tiny bit_ _as we get deeper into the story. Any ideas and thoughts are appreciated! Without further ado..._

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_

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PAST - Change.

"Lady Hufflepuff's gift...to earn it. It's complicated. You see...Helga Hufflepuff. She was a muggleborn." She flinched slightly, prepared for an explosive reaction.

There was a moment of silence as Hermione watched him process it. Him. Draco Malfoy. Poster child for pureblood superiority. Member of the Malfoy family. Purebloods. Today had been an emotional rollercoaster for the both of them as it was, but it would not end until her story was finished.

"She was a muggleborn..." He echoed under his breath, his voice barely a whisper.

"Yes." Hermione responded, tersely. He resumed his bewildered silence.

She thought back to a passage she was reading about Empaths a few days previously.

 _They reach out with their emotions and surrounded a person, targeting the pulse and the limbic system in order to provoke a specific emotion._

 _Their power, when being displayed, is almost instinctual if they are well informed of the situation._

 _When uninformed, the Empath must consciously reach out to the subject with tendrils of power. This is entirely wandless, which is the reason that Empaths need to be so in touch with their magical cores._

She hadn't officially tried it, as she was blissfully unaware of most of her gift, but she'd attempted it slightly on Harry in the Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson previously, to prevent him blowing up at Umbridge, but had been restricted by the giveaway glow. But now...? Hermione shut her eyes, and willed the glow to her fingertips. She then pictured it as reaching out to Draco, completely enveloping him, bringing him the calm equilibrium he was trying to find.

Then his head snapped up. The glow vanished, and he was glaring at her in fury.

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"Shit, Granger. Really? You're a bloody _Empath_ as well?" Draco watched her as she flinched away from his glare.

"I didn't...I couldn't...it was..." She stammered.

"Save it." He snapped. "If there was any level of courtesy I was showing you in this little interrogation," He rolled his eyes at her hurt look. "Yes, interrogation. What did _you_ think this was? I'm blackmailing you for information." She nodded in defeat. He began again. "If there was any slight regard I was giving for your dignity - trust me, Granger, it's gone." Her head snapped up in surprise; that was not what she was expecting him to say.

She was probably confused out of her mind. The Little Know-it-all hated not knowing. He ignored her quizzical look, in favour of completing his rampage. "I get you're powerful and all, Granger, but this is a new level. _Never_ try to control anything about me _ever_ again." He saw her nod her head in understanding.

"Get on with the story, Granger." She nodded, still afraid.

"Ye-yes. So Lady Hufflepuff was a mugglebo-"

"We've established, yes." He cut her off. "So?"

"She understood what it was like to be non-magical...trying to integrate into a complicated magical community with quirks you're just supposed to know about. A community that gives no thought to educating muggle-raised students about the customs they're later criticised for being ignorant of. Even Ron forgets sometimes that Harry and I are just unaware of half of the customs that are second nature to him. Imagine if you lot came to the muggle world and we didn't even think to explain what a mobile phone was, then criticised you for missing our calls." She snorted as Draco shot her a look of bewilderment. "Probably not the best example for exactly the point I was making, right? People assume everyone knows things they take for granted, having learnt them all their lives.

"Yeah yeah, Granger, cry me a river. I get it." Honestly, did she have nothing better to do than rant to him about her precious struggles being a muggleborn. What more did she want? She had some secret founders gift and had escaped her horrid muggle background. He was, however, surprised at her biting retort.

"No you don't. Because until now when you suddenly get all the struggles of being muggleborn, _Malfoy_ , you were one of the presumptuous purebloods who thought the same." She spat the words at him, and he could see tears brimming in the corners of her eyes.

She looked...broken. It was like she'd had the rage bottled up inside of her and it had exploded like an overpowered _Reducto._ He fought the urge to reach out to her, to comfort her; no matter how deep his hatred went, no matter how much he unashamedly enjoyed making her cry, nobody else could. Possessiveness was a Malfoy characteristic after all...her rant had brought up questions he didn't want to answer.

"Granger... _Hermione..._ " Her head snapped up in surprise. Draco knew as well as she did that he'd taken them into dangerous waters. He'd promised not to show her any courtesy, but even him, even his father, one of the coldest of people, had a heart.

Draco reached out a pale hand, and was astonished to see that she did not flinch away. He could tell she was eyeing it, her suspicion evident all over her face. Even now, she was a Gryffindor to the core.

'But is she? Is she really?' A voice inside his head asked. 'Whilst she's uninformed about the futility of her attempts, she had you take an oath, and you just watched her blackmail Umbridge, a woman sent by the Minister of Magic to takeover the entire school. Is she really such a "Gryffindor to the core"?' Draco couldn't argue with that.

"Hermione...I'm...I don't know wh...I'm..." As much as Draco knew he'd manipulated her up until this point, she'd bared her soul to him. He knew, hard as it was, that the words he needed to force out now were completely genuine. He could feel a lump in his throat, and shut his eyes in a vain attempt to clear his head.

"I'm sorry." His voice was barely a whisper. "I'm sorry." Stronger now. Somehow they'd ended up sitting very close together; their knees were tucked up to their chests, their backs against the wall of the tower. She grasped his offered hand with both of her own. His eyes did not open, and he leaned his head back against the wall, groaning internally. He'd done it. And he'd meant it. And he couldn't help thinking that something had changed. And it wasn't going to change back.

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"It's okay, Draco." Hermione consoled, whispering it over and over as she squeezed his hand.

How had they gotten here? She'd gone from defeated to furious to...grateful. He understood. The spark she recognised in his eyes - the one that flared when he was angry, glinted when he was smug - that spark had remained, and a new emotion was there. One she'd never seen on him before, least of all directed at her. Sympathy. He understood.

"I'm just going to finish my story." She spoke quietly, but loud enough to be heard. "It's been a long night; I'll be quick, but I'll try not to miss anything out." She took a deep breath.

"To be blessed with it, you don't have to be muggleborn, but there've been very few bearers of the gift who weren't. To prove yourself worthy of Lady Hufflepuff's gift, first you have to prove yourself worthy to earn her attention. It's not something you can explain so logically - I can't really give you _A List of Ways to Prove You're Great for Hufflepuff._ " He snorted, and Hermione gave a small smile before continuing.

"Helga Hufflepuff's house is known for their loyalty. Those who earn her attention must not only display great loyalty to others over personal gain, but also great loyalty towards themselves and who they are. I'm sure you heard about the _troll incident._ " At his nod of assent she explained. "That was the moment I earnt Lady Hufflepuff's attention, as I showed loyalty to Harry and Ron, people who I was not in anyway friends with at that point, over myself, by lying. The greatest Hufflepuffs are known to be morally perfect, but if it's a matter of loyalty...well there are no prizes for guessing which they value more. So that took care of loyalty to others over personal gain. But that would have meant nothing if I had not already shown loyalty to myself. I was teased and bullied beyond belief for the first few months of my Hogwarts experience - and still am now." Seeing his eyes had opened, she shot him a teasing look and raised an eyebrow. "Regardless of that, according to Helga Hufflepuff, changing to fit in is a show of disloyalty. Moving on - keeping it brief - that's how I became...essentially qualified? Yes, qualified...for her gift." Hermione took a deep breath.

"Following that, you are approached by the ghost of Riverla Hufflepuff informing you of the gift. That was when I found out lots of information about the Founders, their gifts and how to prove yourself. I was told a lot that day, but none of it informed me about how to achieve the gift, having already earnt Lady Hufflepuff's attention."

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 _Part two of the big reveal. I know its frustrating, but I'm trying to keep chapter lengths relatively regular, and sometime the perfect place to stop is just about then._

 _Draco's reaction to Hermione's Empath attempt earlier in the chapter may have been confusing - I believe Draco is someone who hates losing control of himself, which further contributed to his stress in HBP because he had no choice. Hope that makes more sense...?_

 _Hope you enjoyed! It's shorter than usual, but a lot happened._

 _I made some minor edits to the last chapter about Draco's personality to make it easier to adapt, so check that out if you only read it the day it came out (I love you guys for that; the dedication is unreal.)_

 _The third and final part to this reveal will begin with a flashback of Hermione meeting Riverla Hufflepuff. Here's a small excerpt - I have not finished writing yet, so it may change slightly, but I wanted to leave you with something for the wait! I'm going to try to do it earlier than usual to make up for today's late_ one

 **"Why did nobody ever...tell me about this? It wasn't in Hogwarts; A History." Hermione was overwhelmed with a mixture of shock, pride and wonderment.**

 **"My dear," intoned the ghost, "you of all people should know that the world is not all written in a book. If it were so then we would all know all, and there'd be no further to go. But you, Miss Granger, have a great potential to achieve, and have greatly pleased Lady Hufflepuff, my mother. She has her eye on you to be sure, and after my explanation about her gift, I have no doubt your intelligence will help you work out why."**

 **"You mean I could...I'd be able to...but I'm just a child...why me? There must be so many people more worthy of, they could be...the gift... _her_ gift?" Hermione stuttered, incomprehensible even to her own ears.**

 **Riverla smiled. " To prove yourself worthy you have to succeed in 3 tasks. There've been many to catch Mother's eye, and many to succeed past one, two or even three of the tasks. It is no easy feat, but let me share something with you. You have all you need here," The ghostly lady bent down and placed two fingers on Hermione's forehead. "And here," She moved them to her heart.**

 _I hope you all enjoyed, and had a fantastic week so far!_

 _Please press that big button saying Review! Even if you don't have an account feel free to post Anonymously/as a Guest. Thanks so much to everybody who reviewed, but there's always room for more, so please REVIEW! That button right down there!_

 _I'm not going to give up on you if I don't get a certain number, it just makes me that little bit more happy every time I go to write a chapter, and it really does make my day! Only so can get some feedback as to my writing style and where to go, be it negative or positive!  
Thank you!_

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_


	14. PAST - Trust

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Harry Potter... (Although, like many here, I would gladly take it off of Rowling's hands if need be!)**

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 _Hi there!_

 _Thank you so very much to everybody who has favourited/followed!_

 _Thanks to_ JayBat _for your review - I actually thought of some of your previous comments about Draco whilst writing it; I tried to stay committed to my characterisation of him, without making him suddenly go soft. Thanks for all your feedback! It's all really useful!_

 _Also thanks to_ MysticFire101 _for reviewing - You remain positive! Completely cherish all your feedback! Hope you enjoy and keep reading!_

 _Thanks to_ writer wisher _for your review - Woah that's fantastic! You identified and reassured my worry of an unrealistic character shift in a few words. So glad you're enjoying it, and I really appreciate all your positive reviews!_

 _Also thanks to all the Anonymous Guest reviewers!_

 _Furthermore, thank you to everybody who has favourited or followed my story, and thank you for your insightful PMs - you know who you are!_

 _Please do review! It just makes me feel that little bit better about writing these chapters! Also - it's great to hear what you're getting from a different perspective, so I know if I need to adjust my writing. Let me know what you think will happen next!_

 _Last chapter:_

 _1\. Hermione continues with the reveal that began with the story of the Founders._

 _2\. Hermione attempts to emulate an Empath with her gift to calm Draco, but he immediately shuts her down in abrupt fury and pushes her to continue her story._

 _3\. She tells Draco a story about Hufflepuff, and how the fact she was a muggleborn influenced how she understood the Wizarding and Muggle worlds alike._

 _4\. Hermione also reveals how she experiences the same troubles as the muggleborn founder, prompting Draco to realise just how much his words affected her. He began to show sympathy, guilt and remorse._

 _5\. The glow is revealed to be a harmless outlet for the powerful gift to manifest itself, until Hermione reaches Wizarding majority and can control it. It helps her connect with her core and perform wandless magic._

 _6\. Hermione begins to tell Draco the story of how she achieved the gift. First she had to captivate Hufflepuff's attention by showing great loyalty to both herself and to others._

 _7\. Finally, Hermione speaks of Riverla Hufflepuff, Lady Hufflepuff's daughter who appeared to her as a ghost to reveal the tasks she was required to complete. The chapter ends as Hermione is beginning the final part of her tale._

 _This chapter, we have part three of three of the reveal. **When I say reveal, I mean as much as I will reveal as of now.** Following this we will get back to the "real world", and in a few chapters we will make it back to the point the prologue began at! Trust me, by the time we get to there, you will have most of your questions answered regarding Lady Hufflepuff's gift._

 _Do review, lovelies! A little click will just make my day._

 _ **Unusually for me** : parts of the story in bold are FLASHBACKS. This isn't really a concept I've used much, but it's pretty essential here; sorry if bold bothers you, I will try to remain inoffensive. ;)_

 _Sorry for the late update last week, but I had a crazy week, and really made it a priority to get this one out!_

 _Just to confirm due to confusion: I update every two weeks on_ ** _Wednesday._**

 _So far keeping updates regular, but they will potentially slow down a_ _tiny bit_ _as we get deeper into the story. Any ideas and thoughts are appreciated! Without further ado..._

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_

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PAST - Trust.

"Following that, you are approached by the ghost of Riverla Hufflepuff informing you of the gift. That was when I found out lots of information about the Founders, their gifts and how to prove yourself. I was told a lot that day, but none of it informed me about how to achieve the gift, having already earnt Lady Hufflepuff's attention."

Hermione smiled as he squeezed her hand; her story was so close to finished. When she began she was dreading telling it and despised him for forcing her, but now? Now she was feeling better and better about opening up to him with every word he said. He was proving himself; she was well aware he could be faking, but her instinct told her otherwise; her instincts were rarely incorrect. First year, she solved a logic puzzle using a combination of her wit and her gut. Her instinct had also led her to the conclusion that Slytherin's monster was a Basilisk. And contrary to popular opinion, she'd been _right_ about the Firebolt; it _was_ from Sirius Black. No...her instincts were rarely incorrect.

"Riverla Hufflepuff...where do I begin?" She mused out loud. Malf...Draco smirked slightly, but there was no malice there, only amusement.

"How about from the beginning, Hermione?" Something about the way he said her name put her in a trance, and she had to blink a few times to regain focus.

"Well...it all started after the Halloween of first year. When I achieved the gift, it was the end of first year - Harry was still in the hospital wing - it was a few days before he returned, I think - and I was a wreck...Before then, I was visited by Riverla..." She trailed off, thinking back to that day. "It was...sort of...I..." She stuttered, floundering for the words to describe it. "I can't quite explain it. It's not exceedingly complicated or anything, but I...I guess there was something about it that was...well... _magical._ Let me just think..."

Draco nodded in understanding and they lapsed into a comfortable silence as both pondered what to do.

'How do you tell him?' Her inner voice fretted as much as she had.

"Legilimency." Came the whisper. Her head shot up to look at his, and both their eyes were wide. "Legilimency." She repeated, her voice still dry.

"Hermione..." He began, but she waved off the impending protest.

"I can't believe I'm saying this - I must be out of my mind - but I trust you." He raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Okay, not completely," she conceded, "but when it comes to this? I trust you enough to let you..." Even to her ears, it sounded a weak, but she knew that her explaining it would just not have the same effect. "I guess I just don't want to miss anything out."

The blonde rolled his eyes, and Hermione relaxed internally as he went along with it. She looked him in the eyes, and slowly brought her walls down. She brought the memory of her meeting with Riverla to the front of her mind, and focused on letting it overwhelm her. Hermione gave a minute nod and successfully resisted flinching as his wand appeared in his hand, pointing directly at her face.

"Legilimens." He muttered. The memory exploded. Even when she was willingly allowing him access, his presence was not gentle. She pushed the scene to the forefront of her mind, impossible for him to miss. He did not disappoint. She allowed herself to get lost in it, experiencing it as clearly as if it were yesterday.

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Draco breathed deeply as he entered her head, determined to find what he was looking for, but concerned for her all the same. He knew first-hand how painful Legilimency could be. Scenes flashed before him: Hermione in her school uniform, a dusty table in the corner of the library covered in books, Hermione and woman laughing at a dining room table, whilst a man made exaggerated gestures towards his mouth as he told a story, until finally, Draco latched on to the memory she was practically throwing at him.

Draco saw a young girl, namely Hermione, lying on her bed in the Gryffindor girls' dormitory, her wand lit up and curtains drawn as she continued to read late into the night as her roommates dozed off...

 **Hermione gasped as her wand flickered out, and flicked it again as she muttered, "Lumos", under her breath. The wand relit, but flickered out moments later. She tried again, but was still unsuccessful. Suspicious, she put her book down and murmured "Wingardiam Leviosa", but surprisingly, with a little swish and flick, she reached for the book in midair as it levitated off of the bed.**

 **"My magic is working," she thought out loud, "but why isn't my light." She opened the curtains surrounding her four poster bed and peaked out, checking if her roommates were asleep, or potentially responsible. Then she saw a flicker in the corner of the room, and immediately pointed her wand towards it.**

 **"Shhhhhh..." An eerie voice came out of nowhere, hushing her and attempting to reassure her. "I have no intention of harming you, _Hermione Granger._ " Said girl frowned, refusing to lower her wand, and began to protest.** **.**

 **"How do you kn-"**

 **"Not here." The voice cut her off. "Follow me."**

 **"Why should I fo-"**

 **"Not here." The voice repeated. The scene was uncannily similar to "Sleeping Beauty", in which the princess foolishly follows a hypnotising green voice through the palace walls, leading to her untimely sleep-like-death. Hermione knew rationally that it was a bad idea, but followed regardless. Her instinct told her it was safe. The slight flicker began to move, and Hermione followed it, expecting to reach the door. She was mistaken.**

 **In almost the same manner it had appeared, the flicker vanished through the wall on the far side of the room, near Lavender Brown's bed. Hermione walked forward slowly in confusion, until her suspicious train of thought was cut off.**

 **"Follow." The voice came from everywhere, and from nowhere, both at once.**

 **She obeyed, walking towards the wall at reaching out for it with her hand. Then, in a strange twist of logic, the hand she was expecting to touch against the wall...passed straight through. She gasped, moving her hand back towards her, turning it over in the air, observing it from every angle to confirm its well being. The ominous voice began to laugh gently; it rather took away from the slightly creepy persona Hermione had been forming in her head.**

 **"You can practically hear the gears whirring in your brain, cariño,** **just walk through and I will tell you what you seek." Hermione steeled herself before walking forwards, allowing the wall to envelope her. Her surroundings disappeared, fading into the light, and a new room was built around her. The walls were tall, but not overbearing, and the walls were a gentle orange. Not the loud, boisterous orange of the Weasleys' hair, but the orange of a sunset, or candlelit dinner. The orange was accented by yellow and gold, creating the appearance of pure comfort and warmth. The room was filled with sofas and tables, almost alike to the common room, but there was one clear difference; the strange white light floating around the largest sofa. She moved closer to it, hoping it would vanish, but unfortunately she was mistaken. The flicker remained, as did her wand pointed directly at it.**

 **"Who are you? Where am I? What do I seek?" She questioned, but the voice still laughed.**

 **"My mother chose well." It intoned; the voice seemed slightly accented. "Give me just a moment to assume my current state of being, c** **ari** **ño** **, I won't be a moment." The flicker began to grow. It grew and grew until it reached the size of Hermione before beginning to shape. It** **began to form a human-like figure, with lithe and delicate limbs growing from the once ominous flicker. The pale, glowing face began to grow petite features, before hair finally burst from the figure's head, and it looked up.**

 **Hermione took a sharp breath; the ethereal woman that had formed was dazzling. She had classically beautiful features, features alike to that of a goddess. Her eyes were sparkling, and she could feel the beauty and colour radiating from them, despite the pale translucence of the woman. Her eyelashes were long and curled, and a slight ghostly blush showed on her high, defined cheekbones. Her nose was delicate and doll-like, and her lips were plump and delicate, yet not overbearing. Each of these individually stunning features merely accentuated her graceful face and figure. Her long dress cinched at the waist, clinging to her curves, and complimenting her physique as it trailed to the floor.**

 **"All in good time,** **Señorita** **Granger. ¡Tenemos mucho tiempo! I will get through your questions, and more. But first for the introductions. I am Riverla Hufflepuff, only daughter of 3 children, all born of Hogwarts founder, Helga Hufflepuff." Now that the light had formed a woman, her voice became clearer, and her Spanish accent was further emphasised by her occasional Spanish phrases.**

 **"Riverla..." Hermione's lips shaped the word, but the young girl was confused. The warped Wizarding World definitely judged by blood purity over gender and the daughters of significant historical figures were often glossed over compared to the sons, but regardless, Hermione was sure she would have at least _heard_ of her. The young, bushy-haired witch shook herself out of her daze; now was the time for answers. She would ponder it later.**

 **"Señorita Granger, I can feel your confusion from here. No, you have not heard of me, but that is not because my story is a dark one. My story to me is one of strength and pride, and whilst others, _wizards,_ historians, like to put down the strong and independent witches of the past, or maybe just erase them from history all together." She smiled confidently before muttering under her breath, "not to say that Se** **ñor** **Binns seems much use in teaching you lot history anyway."**

 **Hermione was not sure whether to gasp in horror or snort in amusement at the direct truth the ghostly woman was speaking. Riverla continued.**

 **"I was the leading magical person in the art of Alchemy in my time. Mamá had shifted her focus to the school, leaving me all her knowledge and power in order to recreate and revolutionise the field of alchemy. Mi hermano, Rheley was given most the credit, really. If you look hard enough, my work is credited to me, but trust me,** **Cariño** **, word of mouth is often a stronger weapon than hard, factual history."**

 **The ghost glided towards a table, before picking up a mug left there. "Despite all that, the knowledge I gained has some benefits, even in my current stage of ghostliness." Hermione was speechless, eyes wide in shock. She had witnessed some uncomfortable events in which students were charged at, touched by and even impaled by the Hogwarts ghosts, but all attempts at touching them had gone straight through them. But this woman...**

 **"Miss Hufflepuff," she began, "if I may ask, I would like to know where you've brought me? And potentially why?"  
**

 **"Riverla, por favor." The ghost insisted. "You are in Hufflepuff's chambers. And as for why...well Hermione Granger, you have earnt the attention of Lady Helga Hufflepuff herself and therefore she sent me to explain further." Hermione was speechless. "Have you heard the true story of the founders of Hogwarts and the gifts they bestowed?" The young, bushy-haired girl shook her head in the negative. "** **¡** **Una tontería!" The ghost complained, before launching into her story.**

Draco continued to watch the memory, happy to hear again the story Hermione had told him. The story of the founders, their talents and their gifts. The news that Hufflepuff was a muggleborn, at which point she looked ready to cheer in pride. And finally, the news that she herself had, as she put it, _qualified_ for Helga Hufflepuff's. He happily watched the joy and pride light up in her eyes, before it was replaced by surprise, wonder and confusion.

 **"Why did nobody ever...tell me about this? It wasn't in Hogwarts: A History..." Hermione was overwhelmed with a mixture of emotions, both good and bad. She had succeeded in getting the attention of Lady Hufflepuff, but had yet to find out how to earn the gift.**

 **"C** **ari** **ño** **," intoned the ghost, "you of all people should know that the world is not all written in a book. If it were so then we would all know all, and there'd be no further to go. But you, Se** **ñ** **orita Granger, have a great potential to achieve, and have greatly pleased Lady Hufflepuff. She has her eye on you to be sure, and after my explanation about her gift, I have no doubt your intelligence will help you work out why."**

 **"You mean I could...I'd be able to...but I'm just a child...why me? There must be so many people more worthy of, they could be...the gift... _her_ gift?" Hermione stuttered, incomprehensible even to her own ears.**

 **Riverla smiled. "To prove yourself worthy you have to succeed in 3 tasks. Do not doubt that there have been many to catch Mamá's attention, and many to succeed past one or even two of the tasks. But Mamá was a muggleborn, and that defined her view on both the magical and non-magical worlds, as each was in blissful ignorance of the truth of the other. So few without that perspective got past one or two tasks. But to succeed in all three? It is no easy feat, but let me share something with you. You have all you need aquí," The ghostly lady bent down and placed two fingers on Hermione's forehead. "And aquí," She moved them to her heart.**

 **"But Mis...Riverla, what are the tasks? I don't want to disappoint Lady Hufflepuff, but how can I prepare for tasks I don't know about?" Riverla laughed gently; it was the sort of laugh that implied she knew something that Hermione didn't.**

 **"Cariño...If I told you, you would not be worthy of the gift** **.** **¡** **Buena suerte!" And the ghost vanished, her laugh still echoing around the room.**

Draco withdrew from her head as the room began to de-materialise, and he watched in pity as she groaned at the pain. He knew firsthand how painful it could be to have somebody in your head, even if you'd let them there.

"Give me a minute, Draco." She muttered. "There's more, but I need to recover before I show it to you."

"Take your time, Gra-Hermione," he responded, "It's only 1:30. You can take another hour or so and still get back in time for 6 hours of sleep." He saw her smile slightly; confirming his belief that she was not a stranger to short hours of sleep than he was, and 6 hours sounded quite a treat. She leaned her head on his shoulder, and he was surprised to discover that the urge to flinch away had vanished.

"So?" There was a questioning tone in her voice, and Draco scrunched up his eyebrows in confusion. She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Whilst I'm recovering, you might as well tell me what you're thinking about all this. You've been unusually quiet."

There was a long pause whilst he considered how to reply, and the young Gryffindor did not shift her gaze from his face. He finally replied, after carefully thinking over each word.

"It's a lot, Hermione. Not just the story, which I guess I'm ashamed at knowing very little about. As a Malfoy," she flinched at the idea, "I'm expected to know things like this. Whilst I heard about a gift of some sorts, even known of some of its effects..." He smiled as the realisation dawned on her; that's how he'd recognised the glow. "It wasn't the same as knowing all that you know. But as well as that...I feel like in the past few hours I know you so much... _better_. I just don't know how we are supposed to...be...after this. Do we go back to..." He trailed off, his meaning clear. She nodded in understanding and agreement.

"I know." She whispered. Those two words alone touched him to the core, because for one of the first times in his time there, he knew they were true. They sat there for a while, lapsing into a comfortable silence, simply enjoying knowing someone was there, and that somebody _knew._

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A few minutes later, Hermione felt her headache begin to alleviate and she sat up straighter. Draco's gaze shot to hers, and her nod confirmed his suspicions: time for Round 2. She shut her eyes, trying to enclose all the worries his admission had brought up about their relationships behind her barriers, refusing to risk him finding it by accident. She brought the memory of her first task to the front of her memory, and opened her walls to him.

"Legilimens." Came the whisper once more, and she let herself be submerged in her thoughts once more.

 **A young Hermione was walking down the corridors of Hogwarts, books grasped tightly against her chest. Harry and Ron had gone ahead to Potions, but she'd remained to speak to Professor McGonagall and was running late. She was clutching a note excusing her lateness, even though she knew it would be ignored by the openly unfair Potions Master. She began to walk faster, bordering on running as she glanced at her watch. She came to the opening of the dungeons, but did not break stride. The corridors were deserted and cold, and she reached with one hand to wrap her cloak around her, but the action was ineffective and frivolous.**

 **"What's a little Gryffindor firstie doing running around the dungeons during class time?" A cold voice stopped her chain of thoughts, and Hermione stumbled to a halt. A tall, angular boy was standing in front of her, flanked by a bony, auburn-haired girl and a larger, bulkier boy. She glanced at their necks, noting two green ties around the necks of the bulkier boy and girl, and one blue one around the neck of their leader. They looked to be in fifth, or even sixth year. Hermione began stammering in fear.**

 **"I'm on my w...w...way to Potions. I was t...t...talking to Professor Mc...McGonagall." Her voice shook with dread at the inevitable result of this encounter.**

 **" _On your w...w...way?_ " The Ravenclaw boy mocked, emulating her high-pitched stutter. He glared down at her and she looked away, fingering her wand gently; she'd kept in in the sleeve of her robe since the troll incident at Halloween, but she knew full well it would not help her if this came to a magical confrontation. She tried to side step them - she could see the door to Professor Snape's classroom at the end of the hallowed corridor.**

 **"Please, I just want to go pa-" She was cut off by the larger boy shoving her backwards.**

 **"Don't talk back, firstie." He spat, his voice low and gruff, as would suit a boy of his physique.**

 **"Sorry." Hermione whispered; she'd always felt less Gryffindor than her friends, with her so-called bravery only choosing to appear at the most unnecessary of times, but at that moment, her fears of being not good enough for Godric's house seemed confirmed. The girl laughed at her unattractively, her nose scrunching up as she gave a fake, plastic giggle. Hermione flinched away on instinct, still staring longingly at the classroom door. Maybe if she distracted them...**

 **"Wingardium Leviosa!" She shouted, pointing her wand at the larger boy. It caught him off guard and he lifted off the ground. She made a dash for it as her other assailants were distracted, but was stopped by strong, bony hands gripping her around the waist and lifting her up.**

 **"Oooo..." The Ravenclaw intoned loftily, "looks like we have a fighter. How _sweet!_ " Hermione got the feeling that he meant anything _but_ sweet. She sighed, knowing it was foolish to believe her plan could work at all. The boy turned her around, releasing her waist. He held her wrists hard, getting much closer than was comforatble and she looked up in fear, still clutching her books desperately. Before she could blink, the girl slapped her across the face. Her face whipped to the side as she cried out in shock, her cheek stinging.**

 **"Never treat your superiors that way again, you little rat." The girl hissed, spit spraying all over Hermione's face. In an uncharacteristic bout of humour and courage, Hermione smirked.**

 **"Say it, _don't_ spray it." She accentuated every syllable with satisfaction. Shocked at her daring, her attackers barely had time to react before she brought her knee up, causing the Ravenclaw to release her wrists and fall to the floor in pain. She ran for the classroom, positive she had all of her belongings, still holding her wand just in case. She ducked three curses, but they stopped as she reached Professor Snape's classroom. After all, he was clearly not a Ravenclaw just for show. **

**A Ravenclaw. Not just Slytherins, but Ravenclaws.**

 **Hermione moved her hair to cover her cheek before walking into the classroom. Every head shot up at her arrival, but before Professor Snape could question her she held up the note she still had, grasped in her hands.**

 **"Sorry I'm late, Professor, but I was talking to Professor McGonagall at the end of last lesson. She wrote me a note to excuse my lateness." The Potions Professor sneered, knowing he could not punish the girl for Minerva's note. But memory Hermione did not notice his eyes softening slightly in sympathy as he saw the redness of her cheek. And memory Hermione did not register how uncharacteristically lenient he was with her for the rest of the lesson.**

 **For Memory Hermione's focus was only partially on her cauldron. In the corner of the room, she saw a flicker, reminiscent of a recent Halloween. As the ghostly figure formed, unnoticed by her classmates, Hermione watched Riverla out of the corner of her eye, filling with pride as the ghost lifted one, single finger...and nodded.**

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Draco pulled out of her head, shocked that he himself had not noticed _anything_ that day. He did not even remember that lesson. He was pulled out of his reverie by Hermione tapping him gently on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Draco. I can't do that again tonight. I know we agreed bu-" He cut her off without hesitation.

"Tomorrow? Same time, same place." Hermione smiled.

"How about I remove the memories for you later in the week, when I'm feeling up to it, but until then we can meet whenever you have more questions. I believe that was the..." He watched her flounder, trying to find a word to describe the blackmail he used to get her to this point. "I believe that was the deal you proposed."

Draco came close to asking her to forget the deal, to just tell him what he wanted her to trust him on her own. He didn't care if she was Granger, or a mudblood, or a Gryffindor or the best bloody friend of the Boy-who-wouldn't-die. He'd finally found _someone_ who would listen. Someone who he could have an intelligent conversation with, whilst still holding all the cards. Someone who understood him, but that he controlled. Such was his personality; he did not like losing control. So he didn't ask her to forget the deal. He merely nodded, stood, helped her up, and made for the door.

"Draco!" Her voice called, and he detected a note of panic. "I know you're held by your oath, but...you won't tell anyone? Please?" Draco rolled his eyes.

"Like anyone would believe me, Hermione. But no. And you should probably go back to calling me Malfoy, unless you want to deal with the questions you using my name would call up?" He watched her nod in assent, and her shoulders slumped in relief.

"Night, Granger."

"G'night...Malfoy." As she turned, she remembered a comment he'd made near the beginning of their meeting. "Malfoy?" She called. He turned, eyebrows raised expectantly. She walked up to him, smirk on her face before leaning over to speak in his ear. "As for my 'new found sneakiness'?" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Let's just say this: the best Slytherins would not be sorted there." She walked off, leaving him standing there, slightly shaken. Not dumbfounded. His composure was too harsh. But shaken?

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Hermione sighed. The night had been draining; the third task would strangely be the easiest for him to understand. But the second...it's not that any of the tasks required complete muggle knowledge - merely an open perspective. But the second task would be hard for a different reason. Yet she'd tell him anyway. She didn't have a choice, but after the night they'd share, part of her knew she'd probably tell him anyway. She was more right than she realised earlier; she would never in her current state of sanity trust him without doubting him, but with this? With this she trusted him. One hundred percent.

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 _Final part of the big reveal. I know its quite long, but I'm trying to find the perfect place to stop each time, and I tend to keep writing until I reach a point where I'm happy with that._

 _Hope you enjoyed! This extra long chapter was to make up for the late and slightly shorter one last week!_

 _The Spanish is pretty in context/relatively uncomplicated, but if my judgement's off on that one please just drop me a PM or Review and I can amend it on here. I guess I just figured that the daughter of Helga Hufflepuff could use a bit of a quirk. More of her story will be revealed, so don't be worried that I'm leaving it at that!_

 _I made some minor edits to the last chapter to make it easier to adapt, so check that out if you only read it the day it came out (I love you guys for that; the dedication is unreal.)_

 _I hope you all enjoyed, and had a fantastic week so far!_

 _We get back to normal time after this chapter, and Hermione goes back to dealing with Umbridge. Her memories will be given to Draco, and these ones he will watch on his own over the next few chapters. The remaining events are: the second task, the third task, and Hermione finally getting the gift._

 _Please press that big button saying Review! Even if you don't have an account feel free to post Anonymously/as a Guest. Thanks so much to everybody who reviewed, but there's always room for more, so please REVIEW! That button right down there!_

 _I'm not going to give up on you if I don't get a certain number, it just makes me that little bit more happy every time I go to write a chapter, and it really does make my day! Only so can get some feedback as to my writing style and where to go, be it negative or positive!  
Thank you!_

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_


	15. PAST - Not hate, Not really

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Harry Potter... (Although, like many here, I would gladly take it off of Rowling's hands if need be!)**

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 _Hi there!_

 _Thank you so very much to everybody who has favourited/followed!_

 _Thanks to_ JayBat _for your review - That's exactly it! Many would have failed at the first task in her position, simply because muggle techniques don't occur. Unless you're born brawny, like Crabbe and Goyle, there seems to be very little focus on actually being fit. Pretty much the only explained sport in the Wizarding World requires you to sit on a broom and fly, not run. Thanks for all your feedback - it's all so useful!_

 _Also thanks to_ MysticFire101 _for reviewing - You remain positive! Completely cherish all your feedback! Hope you enjoy and keep reading!_

 _Thanks to_ writer wisher _for your review - Thank you so much! Good to know that Draco is semi-realistic in terms of character shifts. As soon as you have an account drop me a PM - I'd love to read some of your stuff!_

 _Also thanks to all the Anonymous Guest reviewers!_

 _Furthermore, thank you to everybody who has favourited or followed my story, and thank you for your insightful PMs - you know who you are!_

 _Please do review! It just makes me feel that little bit better about writing these chapters! Also - it's great to hear what you're getting from a different perspective, so I know if I need to adjust my writing. Let me know what you think will happen next!_

 _Last chapter:_

 _1\. Hermione begins the final stage of her reveal, talking about her encounter with Riverla Hufflepuff. She admits she does not generally trust Draco, but in that scenario, she trusted him enough to use Legilimency to see it._

 _2\. Riverla was revealed to be Helga Hufflepuff's daughter, and (for some reason, god knows what I was thinking) is Spanish. She took Hermione to a secret room and told her about the Lady Hufflepuff's gift, revealing the tasks she would have to complete._

 _3\. Riverla admitted that few passed all three, as they required a clear perspective of both the muggle and magical worlds, as well as great strength, conviction and loyalty._

 _4\. Hermione then showed Draco the memory of her passing the first task._

 _5\. In the challenge, Hermione had to overcome three older students who blocked and assaulted her on her way to Potions. She had to use a combination of magical and muggle techniques, many of which would not have occurred to a pureblood student._

 _6\. Riverla appeared as a ghost, unseen by all others, in her Potions class. She indicated that Hermione had passed the first task. Whilst watching this, Hermione missed Professor's Snape sympathetic treatment of her due to her ordeal._

 _7\. Present day Hermione reveals that it is too painful to repeat the process, and promises to give him copies of each of the other two memories. They leave slightly bitterly, as Draco - offended that she would worry about him telling her secret - advises her to stop using his first name. Despite that, something had clearly shifted in their relationship after that night._

 _8\. Hermione admits to herself that the second task will be most difficult for Draco to understand, and dreads explaining it._

 _Last chapter, we had part three of three of the reveal. The rest of the tasks will be revealed more slowly, as Hermione will leave Draco her memories of them to view at his leisure. You may want to go back to re-read the Umbridge Chapter, as even I had to go back - I was so immersed in writing the backstory to the gift, it's been almost 2 months since I last wrote, but only a single night within the story._

 _Now we will get back to the "real world", and in a few chapters we will make it back to the point the prologue began at! If you remember, the last real world situation was Hermione threatening Umbridge..._

 _Do review, lovelies! A little click will just make my day._

 _ **Unusually for me**_ _: parts of the story in bold are FLASHBACKS. This isn't really a concept I've used much, but it's pretty essential here; sorry if bold bothers you, I will try to remain inoffensive. ;)_

 _If you get confused, as I'm not the clearest writer, Legilimency conversations will have '*'s around them._

 _I'm in my intense exam period right now, so I'm sorry to say that this is not a number one priority. If I miss updates, I will try to make them up, but as soon as my exams are over my updates will get regular (it's only for about 6 weeks!)._

 _Just to confirm due to confusion: I update every two weeks roughly, but my hectic schedule may make it a day or so late sometimes._

 _So far keeping updates regular, but they will potentially slow down a_ _tiny bit_ _as we get deeper into the story. Any ideas and thoughts are appreciated! Without further ado..._

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_

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PAST - Not hate. Not really.

Hermione sighed. The night had been draining, but the second task would not take long to share. It was the third one she would struggle with, as he did not have the core understanding of muggles to process it. But she'd tell him anyway. She didn't have a choice, but after the night they'd share, part of her knew she'd probably tell him anyway. She was more right than she realised earlier; she would never in her current state of sanity trust him without doubting him, but with this? With this she trusted him. One hundred percent.

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Hermione stumbled down to the Great Hall the following day, attempting to retain a level of composure despite her lack of sleep. She slid in next to Harry, reaching absentmindedly for the tea, rubbing her eyes from lack of sleep. She had not attended her detention last night, instead spending the evening with Draco, but she had no doubt that Umbridge would stay quiet about it. After the slightly...dramatic display of power she shown the toady old woman, she doubted Umbridge would want to be anywhere near her. She smiled internally, revelling in the satisfying memory of the woman's face paling as she realised she'd been outmatched.

"You alright there, Mia?" Harry asked, fondly. She'd begun to lean slightly on his shoulder, and he was gently shaking her awake.

"Fine, Ray..." She yawned. Her blood-brother raised an eyebrow at her, and she gave him a tight smile. "Don't worry, just spent a bit of a late night in the library." He looked at her suspiciously, but thankfully did not press her on it.

"You'd better take this instead, he remarked, pushing what looked like a steaming cup of coffee towards her. "It will probably do more..." She sipped it gratefully. "You'll need it - we have Potions first thing. You can sleep in A History of Magic later." Hermione none-too-gently slapped him round the back of his head, preparing to launch into a tirade.

"Sleeping in class! I will do no such-"

"It's too early in the morning for this 'Mione." Ron Weasley spoke, mouth overflowing with food. Hermione scrunched up her nose in disgust.

"That is quite repulsive, Ron." She said, matter-of-factly. He merely rolled his eyes in response.

She sighed, glancing up at the Slytherin table. There was no sign of the blonde yet...and she wasn't quite sure if she wanted to see him.

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Draco was faring quite a bit better than the bushy-haired muggleborn. He was used to surviving on very little sleep, and rose unusually well rested, probably as a response to finally having some of his questions answered. He pulled on his robes, striding towards the Great Hall. His night had been...eventful and enlightening. Hermione had shared a great deal of things, and his desire to know the final tasks had ebbed slightly, as he was still processing the information he had heard.

'You called her Hermione.' His inner voice crowed. 'You cannot deny there is something unusual about the way you see her now. Granger, the bushy-haired, bucktooth mudblood just isn't the same person as the Hermione we know.'

And she wasn't. Much as Draco would love to deny it, he could not think of her as just 'Granger' anymore. He'd shut her down the previous night out of fear, for his safety and hers. He could not afford to get too close. Unless...he was lost in thought until something pulled him out of it.

"Draco!" A sweet, girlish voice called. He paused and turned. There were very few people a Malfoy would wait for, but Pansy Parkinson certainly fit the bill. He offered his arm to her as she approached, and she grasped his elbow. "You're up early for someone who didn't get in for hours after yesterday's dinner." She remarked. Her smile was teasing, but he noticed the slight tightness around her eyes. Concern? Suspicion? Jealousy? He didn't know.

"I was simply taking a late night fly: nothing to worry about, Pans." She looked as if she was about to protest, but he shot her a warning look. She sighed in response, taking a deep breath before trying again.

"Quite the shut down Umbridge gave the mudblood yesterday, wasn't it?" Draco hmmed non-committedly, and she continued. "Though, much as I hate to admit it, Granger seemed to have the upper hand for some of it. If Umbridge hadn't had the power of the Ministry..."

Draco tuned her out, not quite as excited as she was to hear a play-by-play of their Defence lesson yesterday when he'd witnessed and learned far more intriguing details afterwards. He opened the doors for Pansy, letting her through first, and refused to spare a glance at the Gryffindor table as he made his way over to his seat. Hermione noticed him enter - he could feel her gaze on him as he walked. What a Gryffindor! No sense of subtlety whatsoever. Then again, the need for subtlety was only required when your housemates weren't as oblivious as Potter and Weasel. As he sat, he couldn't resist the urge, and lifted his gaze to meet hers. He nodded imperceptibly in greeting, and she returned the gesture.

As he looked away, he couldn't help the thoughts running through his head about all she'd told him the night before. Speaking of which - she looked absolutely terrible. Maybe the Legilimency had taken more out of her than he'd thought...no matter, he'd find out in Potions later. He could try to talk to her, or find a time to.

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"Longbottom, are you incapable of reading _simple instructions?_ " Draco smirked as his godfather began tearing into the clumsy Gryffindor. "Please read the fourth instruction on the board."

"E...exti..extinguish f...flame th...then add the p...porcupine quills." The boy muttered, flinching away in anticipation.

"And what were _you_ about to do, Longbottom." Professor Snape snapped, unsympathetically.

"Add the p...porcupine quills without ext...extinguishing the f...f...flame." His voice was shaking now. Draco almost snorted. Professor Snape's persona was perfected, but could Longbottom seriously be that afraid?

"And what, _Mister_ Longbottom, would _that_ have done?" The honorific was spat with anything but respect. The terrified boy shrugged helplessly. His face had gone pale and his hands were shaking in terror.

"Miss Granger," the Professor snapped, not even turning around. "Since you insist on being such an _insufferable_ know-it-all, perhaps you'd like to _enlighten_ us." He was quite accurate, and Hermione's hand faltered in the air. "Well?" Snape barked, confirming that he expected an answer.

"Well, sir. The porcupine quills would be hot enough to interact with the moonfilly droppings, which would cause the potions to emit a vapour known as the Digitar Vapour. It surrounds the neurones in your finger tips, preventing them from working, and can spread up to your elbow if left untreate-"

"Yes, that's enough, Miss Granger." There was no insult, and Draco was almost surprised. Though, he supposed, it was not the classic textbook answer that required little intellect. She had displayed skills of deduction that Draco himself would have missed, had the Professor not taught him this potion during a visit over the summer. Hermione appeared just as surprised as he was, but took advantage of it, returning to observing her Potion. Like Draco, she'd gotten much further than Longbottom, and was waiting for the colour change before adding her final ingredient. She stood attentively, holding some kind of muggle object, quill poised.

"Draco," Blaise hissed. "You're staring at the mudblood."

 _Shit._ He wasn't supposed to get caught. He was a Malfoy. Malfoy's don't get caught. He reacted quickly.

" _Please._ " He snorted. "I'm merely remembering how Umbridge shut her down in Defence yesterday. She needed to be taken a peg down." Blaise accepted his answer, and launched into his opinion on the event.

Draco continued to absorb the information from the previous night, content in the fact that Blaise would keep himself occupied with said topic for long enough. He'd shut her down, true. But she'd trusted him. She'd honestly admitted she still had doubts, but had trustingly and openly let him into her head. Confused didn't even begin to cover how he felt. They needed to meet, needed to talk. Not about the gift, or the tasks, or blood, or Umbridge. Simply about _them._ Whatever they were. Draco wasn't sure what he wanted, but as much as he tried to ignore it, he felt a pull towards her. Whether it was respect for her power, or something...else, he needed to know so he could get it out of his system. Before it got too deep.

After checking Blaise was still talking, Draco resumed staring at Hermione, more inconspicuously. He reached out with his mind, trying to contact her.

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Hermione was lost. Draco had not reacted to her presence one bit. She'd thought their relationship...or whatever it was, had had a turning point the previous evening. Had she said something to offend him? As she stared at her murky grey potion, waiting for it to turn a pale sky blue, she felt someone poke at her barriers. She resisted the urge to turn around, instead focusing on enforcing her barriers. There was no doubt it was Draco, but before she gave him free reign there was some information she had to protect. She gathered her memories behind a wall, only leaving surface thoughts in the calm space in her mind, before lowering her barriers and letting him in.

*What?* Hermione whispered in her mind.

 _*We need to talk."_ Came the curt reply.

*No offence, Dra-Malfoy, but didn't we stay up talking most the night, hence why I look as tired as I do?* How did he look so good? They'd left the tower only minutes apart...

 _*Not about Umbridge or your gift, just about whatever the hell happened last night, and what it makes us.*_ He whispered. Hermione could sense the apprehension in his thoughts, and mentally nodded.

*I'd say same time, same place. But I'm too tired for that. I have a free after History of Magic, right before lunch. Meet near the magical geography section of the library? It's usually empty.*

 _*Done.*_ He withdrew from her mind, and she immediately snapped her barriers back into place.

At the end of Potions, she stopped by a usually-unoccupied girls' bathroom, before locking the door with a whispered, "Colloportus." She flicked her wand, conjuring a vial, and braced herself against the wall.

'It's better to get it over with now.' Her inner voice whispered. She groaned before imagining the memory of her second task. The trick was to not go over each detail, but merely remember the event as a whole. Hermione brought her wand up to her right temple, before gently extracting the memory. As she placed the _royal blue_ strands of light in the vial, she sighed in disappointment. Why couldn't something about her be normal?

Hermione almost laughed out loud at the sentiment. Here she was, taking out a memory from her head in a magically-locked girls' bathroom near the Dungeons of a school of witchcraft, and she was worried that the colour of the strands made her abnormal? She closed the vial, still smiling internally, and rushed off to her next class.

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Despite what she'd told Harry, Hermione did end up sleeping in History of Magic. She _had_ just performed challenging feats of magic, so she felt perfectly justified in doing so. Unfortunately, her boys didn't know that.

At the end of the lesson, Ron nudged her slightly, and she forced herself to ignore his smug, self-satisfied glance at her. She still had 10 minutes left, made quick work of french-plaiting her hair to hide the sleep-induced frizz that was developing. She was used to plaiting her hair at home during the summer, so was completely surprised to see that Ron was staring at the intricate plait with a look of bewildered wonderment on his face. She clicked her fingers in front of him, breaking him from his reverie.

"Ron, what's wrong?" She hissed.

"I've never seen anyone do that without magic." He whispered back, and Hermione fought hard to keep down a laugh. There was something about magical ignorance that amused her beyond belief.

As soon as the bell rung, she excused herself to the library, and neither of her boys questioned it.

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Draco sat in a dark corner of the library, near the shelf filled with magical atlases. The spot was surrounded by bookcases, and if you hadn't known where it was, you would not have found it. As he waited for Hermione, he knew one thing for certain; he had no what he wanted to say. Yes, he'd called this meeting. And yes, he wanted to work out what they _were_. But at the same time, he had absolutely no idea how to go about it.

"Well?" A sharp, familiar voice cut through his thoughts. What is it with people at interrupting his thoughts today? He was about to snap before looking up to see Hermione, her face strained, brows knitting themselves together.

"Sit." He offered, patiently. She sat, never taking her eyes off of him.

They sat like that for ages. It was probably mere minutes, but sitting there, the air thick with tension, it felt like hours. Draco opened his mouth to speak, to break the silence.

"Is this about what you said last night?" Her voice wavered, and she sounded...nervous? He didn't let it shake him.

"I said a lot of things last night, Her-Granger. What in particular?" He drawled. He could feel her flinch.

"That." She whispered. His head shot up - what on earth was she talking about? Upon seeing his look of pure confusion, she expanded. "Last night, we were talking. It was...free and anything but spiteful, but then...then you said as you were leaving that I should stop calling you Draco, and I thought I'd done something wro..." She trailed off, and Draco stared at her, eyes boggling and jaw hanging open, for a full minute before replying.

"It wasn't you." Now it was her turn to snap her gaze towards him. "I was..." _Scared. I was scared._ "I was concerned." _Maybe next time._

"Concerned?" Her lips shaped the sounds, the word dripping with disbelief.

"Last night...when I asked if we go back to...whatever we were..." _Was it bad he could barely remember what they 'were'?_ "You said 'I know.'" She nodded. "I guess I just had a moment where someone _got_ me. Just a split second where you were saying 'I know' because you did, not because you wanted something. And it was...terrifying."

 _What was he doing?_ He was Draco Malfoy. He did not open up. He did not bear his soul. He did not show emotion. And most importantly of all, he did not do any of these with _Hermione Granger._

"Granger...Hermione," he whispered. "It would be so much easier to go back to hating one another. You hating me, me hating you. But I can't."

"I know." She whispered, because she did. She made to stand, but he reached out to grab her wrist in protest. "Relax!" She laughed, before bending down to reach into her bag, and Draco almost blushed in embarrassment. Blushing...? Blushing! What was going on with him? He was anything but proud of his actions, but merely shrugged it off.

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Hermione gulped. It was now or never. She removed the vial from her bag, and placed it in front of him.

"The vial will only open to your magical signature, but do _not_ let anybody else see it." Satisfied at his nod, she continued. "This is the second task, and I'm assuming you have a Pensieve." She did not look up to check. Draco was smart, if he hadn't had one he would have said the previous night. "All I ask is...please don't make fun of me after watching it." His eyes widened, eyebrows flying into his hairline. Hermione could almost hear his questions, but cut him off before he could begin to ask one.

"Watch it. Watch it, and you'll understand."

He grunted in response, and she made to leave; he didn't stop her this time. Just before she slipped out of the corner, she turned.

"Just for the record, I can only think of one moment that I actually _hated_ you was when Buckbeak was being executed. The rest of the time..." She trailed off, letting him fill in the blanks. "Even when you called me mudblood, I never hated you. Not really." He may not believe her, or understand, but the former would be resolved once he viewed the memory.

As she left, she thought back to the memory she'd left in his hands,. She plopped herself down in her usual chair near the Alchemy section and pulled out an essay. _The 12 Uses of Dragon Blood._ She'd spent enough time with Charlie the summer before to do this with little effort, so she returned her thoughts to the memory and let herself get lost in it.

 **"Harry James Potter!" she cried, eyes alight with fury. "You put that wand down _right now!_ " **

**Harry turned to her, no shame in his eyes as he was scolded by the young Gryffindor. The Great Hall was alive with students chattering away, but even those a whole five seats down from him shuffled down slightly in anticipation. In just over 7 months, Hermione's lectures were infamous in the house, especially amongst their year. Harry looked pleadingly at Ron, who was sitting next to Hermione, across from him, but the red-head shrugged as if to say 'you're on your own.'**

 **Harry sighed before placing the wand down on the table, still fingering it. Hermione's eyes narrowed at him, but she returned to the book she was reading over her breakfast.**

 **"Ronald Bilius Weasley! Do _not_ think I can't see yours as well." She snapped, without looking up. **

Present day Hermione was almost proud thinking back to her twelve-year-old self. She'd learnt from a young age to observe people. She caught details. Although it was originally to detect any threats from bullies, it was a skill she'd learnt to utilise.

 **"Bloody hell, Hermione!" Ron grumbled from next to her. "Forget eyes on the back of your head, you have eyes bloody everywhere!" She rolled her eyes before glancing at the time.**

 **"It's getting late - I've got to run to Gryffindor tower before Charms. I shouldn't be late, but if I am could you let Professor Flit-"**

 **"Yeah, yeah, Hermione, will do. Don't worry!" The boys waved her off, which did nothing to ebb her suspicions. She walked out of the Great Hall before doubling back to hide behind a nearby suit of armour. She couldn't believe they'd bought it. When had she _ever_ forgotten something at the Tower before lessons? As expected, Ron and Harry immediately began plotting. Even from where she was standing they were clearly up to no good. **

**It was then that she saw Draco Malfoy make his way out of the Hall. At eleven, he still wore his hair slicked back and combed, and even first-year Hermione had to stifle a laugh at his ridiculous swagger. She held her breath as he passed her hiding place, but he did not notice. Nobody ever noticed.**

 **As she breathed in relief, she almost missed Harry and Ron sneaking out after him, wands drawn.**

 **"Ugh..." she groaned, "please don't be doing what I think you're doing." She drew her own wand, before tiptoeing covertly after them, ducking behind tapestries and suits of armour as she went. Soon, Draco had reached an empty area. It was too far from the Dungeons for stray Slytherins to be lurking there during Breakfast, but too close to the Dungeons for anyone else to be there. She saw Harry and Ron exchange a grin as they stopped, and she moved to place herself in the right position.**

 **"Oi! Malfoy!" Ron shouted. The Malfoy heir whipped around, nose upturned.**

 **"Weasel." He sneered, drawing his own wand. He was clearly prepared for a fight, and was not so oblivious as Harry and Ron when it came to reading the situation.**

 **Young Hermione crouched down before pointing her wand between them in preparation.**

 **"We have a score to settle with you, Malfoy." Harry spoke more quietly, still not as confident as he would grow to be years later. "After all, only a coward does not show up to a set duel."**

 **Ohhh. So that was what this was about. Revenge. Certainly better than attacking an innocent, but it was still not something Hermione would let happen.**

 **"Careful, Potter. You don't want to _hurt_ yourself." Young Draco spat back. Then his eyes widened in faux innocence, pocketing his wand. "Professor Snape!" His voice was as sweet as he was bitter. "So glad you showed up when you did!" Ron whipped around in fear, eyes frantically searching the corridor behind him. Harry did not turn. If there was one thing the Dursleys taught him, it was how to read a bluff.**

 **Draco laughed, wand still drawn. "I rest my case, Weasel. Until next time. Ta taa." His departing words were condescending, patronising and as he turned to walk away, Hermione predicted Harry's actions before he knew himself. She erected a shield, whispering the words under her breath, and launched herself at Harry.**

 **"Stop!" She cried, and Harry fell back in surprise. His spell dissipated into sparks against the shield. Hermione looked back; the young blond had not noticed a thing, and had walked out of sight. "What the _bloody hell_ do you think you're doing?" Her exclamation was punctuated by her prodding her finger hard into his chest. She turned to Ron, repeating her actions. "You could have _hurt_ him. You could have been _expelled._ "**

 **"Hurt him?" Ron sneered, looking so eerily like Draco that the younger her took a step back. "He's just Malfoy. Why do you care?" The young girl looked affronted, furious and downright terrifying.**

 **"I _care_ because he's a _person._ And you don't _hex_ a person when their back is turned. That is _cowardly_ , and if Professor McGonagall were here, she would be ashamed to call you a Gryffindor. She stormed up the corridor towards Charms, not even turning to reply when she heard Ron mutter to Harry.**

 **"She is absolutely out of her mind."**

 **If Hermione had been _any_ angrier, she would have missed the almost familiar ghostly glow near her previous hiding place. She stopped in her tracks as she registered its meaning. Riverla smiled at the girl, holding up two fingers, before vanishing.**

Hermione smiled at the memory. Furious though she'd been, she had proved to both herself and to Harry and Ron that she was not about to follow whatever they did. Saved from a troll or not, she was not going to turn a blind eye to them doing things that were simply wrong.

Ron had never apologised. It just wasn't in his nature. Harry had come to his sense the following day, apologising profusely. He knew what it was like to be a victim, and Hermione was confident that he'd hesitate before trying that again. Ron, however, never admitted he was wrong. Eventually he just began to act normally, as if he'd forgotten it happened. But Hermione knew that if he continued to handle disagreements by forgetting it happened, leaving unresolved issues floating around, then one of them would blow up. She'd been right.

Hermione couldn't help but worry about Draco's reaction. Yes, she'd proven her ability to stand up for what was right and all of that, but she couldn't deny that, in first year, she'd had mixed feelings about the young Malfoy. She'd never felt much dislike until he called her...that word...in second year. Before then? He was an annoyance, irritating, arrogant, but never rude directly to her. Although, if she abandoned people for being directly rude, she'd probably have even less friends

than she did now. Whilst she would not admit it, in first year, she'd been quite jealous of him. That was, of course, before she'd known him. He was the direct product of a world she knew nothing about, but wanted to immerse herself in. He was handsome, yes, but also _smart._ The boy understood complex magical ideas instantly, in a way she could just achieve with hours of preparation beforehand. All simply because he'd grown up in this world. Not that she didn't love her muggle half! She just envied his position. He would secure any job he wanted when he left, even if it was purely because of his name. And she envied him. That was it. Envied.

'Even now,' her inner voice whispered in her subconscious. 'Even now, you do not know if your feelings were jealousy, or slight admiration and affection.'

Hermione sighed before returning to the essay she'd started. Perhaps she'd never know.

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 _Draco may have been slightly OOC, but inner turmoil about feelings is hard to write for a guy, especially one who I have given a brainwashed, harsh, unfeeling backstory to._

 _Next Chapter: Draco's reaction to the memory. More Umbridge. Some Harry-Hermione scenes and some Minerva moments._

 _I made some minor edits to the last chapter to make it easier to adapt, so check that out if you only read it the day it came out (I love you guys for that; the dedication is unreal.)_

 _I hope you all enjoyed, and had a fantastic week so far!_

 _No Umbridge directly here, but don't worry, she'll be back. I absolutely love writing for her - the scenes are always so fun to write, even if they may not be as fun to read (sorry if you don't enjoy them!)._

 _Please press that big button saying Review! Even if you don't have an account feel free to post Anonymously/as a Guest. Thanks so much to everybody who reviewed, but there's always room for more, so please REVIEW! That button right down there!_

 _I'm not going to give up on you if I don't get a certain number, it just makes me that little bit more happy every time I go to write a chapter, and it really does make my day! Only so can get some feedback as to my writing style and where to go, be it negative or positive!  
Thank you!_

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_


	16. PAST - With this? Yes

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Harry Potter... (Although, like many here, I would gladly take it off of Rowling's hands if need be!)**

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 _Hi there!_

 _Thank you so very much to everybody who has favourited/followed!_

 _Also thanks to_ MysticFire101 _for reviewing - Thanks for the feedback! I'm thrilled you're enjoying it and hope this chapter meets your expectations ;)_

 _Thanks to_ SmokeZombie96 _for reviewing - Yep he'll see the memory this chapter. I hope his reaction surprises you a little bit._

 _Thanks to_ writer wisher _for your review - Thank you! I have read those series - and absolutely loved them! I see a lot of parallels between the two series (HP and PJ), and would definitely consider giving it a try once I've finished this story._

 _Also thanks to all the Anonymous Guest reviewers!_

 _Furthermore, thank you to everybody who has favourited or followed my story, and thank you for your insightful PMs - you know who you are!_

 _Please do review! It just makes me feel that little bit better about writing these chapters! Also - it's great to hear what you're getting from a different perspective, so I know if I need to adjust my writing. Let me know what you think will happen next!_

 _Last chapter:_

 _1\. Hermione and Draco return to real life following the eventful night where they both learned a lot about each other._

 _2\. Draco is revealed to be distracted by Hermione, having found out more about her personality. Meanwhile, Hermione is trying to act normal whilst being just as distracted by Draco._

 _3\. Draco and Hermione agree to meet as Draco still has questions. He reveals he just wants to ask about whatever their relationship is._

 _4\. Both Draco and Hermione admit that they can't go back to the hatred they shared before the reveal, and Hermione gives Draco a copy of the 2nd Task memory, requesting that he does not make fun of her for it._

 _5\. Hermione recalls her second task, revealing that it was in fact defending Draco (without his knowledge) from Harry and Ron in first year that brought her success._

 _6\. Hermione confesses to herself that, even then, she was not sure if she defended him with righteousness or...other feelings. She thought over her initial jealousy of Draco, admitting that - whilst she was proud of her parentage - there were some advantages to being pureblood that even her pure determination could not master._

 _We have essentially finished the opening/introduction side to the story, and are now getting into the real meat. This chapter Draco will view the second task and Hermione will reveal to him the third (sorry if it's anticlimatic, but it was actually the first task I had actually, definitively decided on when I wrote the first part of the reveal!) task and the final ceremony, with lots of Drama in between!_

 _PLEASE NOTE THAT I MADE SOME MINOR UPDATES/EDITS TO PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. THEY'RE NOT SUPER MAJOR PLOT CHANGES, BUT THE STORY WILL PROBABLY FALL INTO PLACE MORE EASILY IF YOU GO BACK AND RE-READ THEM. Up to you, though!_

 _Do review, lovelies! A little click will just make my day._

 _ **Unusually for me**_ _: parts of the story in bold are FLASHBACKS/MEMORIES. This isn't really a concept I want to overuse, but it's pretty essential here; sorry if bold bothers you, I will try to remain inoffensive. ;)_

 _If you get confused, as I'm not the clearest writer, Legilimency conversations will have '*'s around them._

 ** _I'm in my intense exam period right now, so I'm sorry to say that this is not a number one priority. If I miss updates, I will try to make them up, but as soon as my exams are over my updates will get regular again (it's only for about 6 weeks!)._**

 _Just to confirm due to confusion: I update every two weeks roughly, but my hectic schedule may make it a day or so late sometimes._

 _So far keeping updates regular, but they will potentially slow down a_ _tiny bit_ _as we get deeper into the story. Any ideas and thoughts are appreciated! Without further ado..._

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_

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PAST - With this? Yes...

'Even now,' her inner voice whispered in her subconscious. 'Even now, you do not know if your feelings were jealousy, or slight admiration and affection.'

Hermione sighed before returning to the essay she'd started. Perhaps she'd never know.

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Draco did not move from the library table. He stared at the vial in his hand, unblinking, hidden from the rest of the world by the towering shelves of magical atlases and maps.

The vial itself was simple, but it was not the vial that captured the young Slytherin's attention. Instead, it was the shimmering strand within it. He continued admiring it, appreciating how it caught the light as it moved slightly, the strand wispy yet shining.

"Draco?" He quickly hid the vial, his head snapping up simultaneously. "What are _you_ doing here?" Pansy whispered, and he could hear how broken her voice sounded.

"Just gathering my thoughts, Pans." His barriers were back up, full Malfoy-persona in place.

 _How peculiar? He'd never thought of his controlled demeanour as a persona before._

Pansy raised an eyebrow in disbelief, her hurt expression morphing into one of disbelieving indignation.

"Alone?" She probed, sharply. Draco scrunched his eyebrows slightly, careful not to overdo it. Pansy had told him many a time that she knew when he was lying because he made his emotions obvious. 'Even when you're really angry, you never show your emotions as much as you do when you're lying.' She'd told him matter-of-factly. "Alone? In the _make out_ corner of the library?"

 _Shit, firecracker. Really?_ There was no way Pansy would believe that he didn't know. He couldn't believe it had slipped his mind! Sure, he'd never personally required it - there were plenty of more covert places to snog in the castle (I mean, of all the places in this massive, magical castle, who would pick the _library?_ ) - but he'd heard plenty of stories from Blaise and Theo regarding the 'secret spot between the shelves'.

"Yes." He replied, tersely, not knowing what else to say.

"Hmmm..." Pansy responded, non-committedly, eyes sweeping the surrounding area. Draco slipped the vial into his robe pocket whilst she was distracted.

"It's almost lunch time, Pans. If you're done with your _interrogation?_ " At this she smiled slightly, rolling her eyes, her frosty demeanour vanished without a trace. He stood, holding out his arm, and she took it with a smile.

All through lunch the vial felt as if it was burning a hole in his pocket.

 _'Tonight.'_ He promised himself. ' _Tonight.'_

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Hermione ran down to lunch, panting slightly as she rounded the corner towards the Great Hall. She'd been so immersed in her memory, then her essay that she completely lost track of time.

"'Mione!" She skidded to a stop just in time to miss crashing into Ron and Harry.

"Sorry, I-I'm late." She panted. She really needed to get back in shape. She'd been neglecting her weekly runs in favour of studying recently, and was beginning to regret it as she doubled over, grabbing the stitch in her side. "I was in the-"

"Library?" Harry teased.

"We know." Ron added. Harry turned to him, grinning.

"I mean, all those books and shelves?"

"What more does she need?" The red-head quipped back.

Hermione grinned at their Fred-and-George-like bantering. Through all the stress she'd been going through lately with Harry's trial, then Umbridge then...Draco, she'd forgotten how much she'd enjoyed the simple, carefree moments that accompanied spending time with her best friends. She shook her head at them fondly before smirking.

"Actually, boys, I was meeting up with my super secret Slytherin boyfriend for a quick snog in the Astronomy tower." She twirled a strand of hair in her fingertips as she spoke, channelling her inner Lavender Brown as she batted her eyelashes. "Nobody heads up there at lunchtime so it was sooo...private." She burst out laughing as Harry's jaw dropped and Ron's face went pale, both of them gobsmacked. Their looks of terrified anticipation morphed into relief and slight irritation as they registered her jokes. She through her arms around them before carrying on to the Great Hall, leaving them behind, slightly shaken. "Aren't you coming?" She called. Momentarily forgetting they'd already eaten, her boys ran to catch up, each slinging an arm over her shoulders as she went into lunch.

As they made their way to the Gryffindor table, laughing rambunctiously, Hermione couldn't help but worry about the amount of her teasing story which wasn't a lie.

* * *

Transfiguration and Charms flew by, and before Hermione knew it, she was walking the familiar route down to the Room of Requirement.

She'd discovered the Room whilst being granted her gift in first year, and had since used it as her private little hideaway in order to cry or laugh or to simply be left to her thoughts. Since learning of it, she'd made use of a _certain_ feature regularly, but had not been in a while.

She made her way to the seventh floor, walking past the room three times and waited for the door to her fitness room. On icy winter days when her regular runs had become a reckless activity, she'd made sure to come occasionally to stay fit. Harry could deny it as much as he wanted, but now that Voldemort was back, a war was coming. Being fitter and agile could do nothing but _help_ her in a duel, and when she knew Harry would be able to handle it, she would encourage him and Ron to do the same. But for now...

The door did not appear.

"Impossible." She muttered under her breath, resuming her pacing. The only way that the door would not appear would be if the castle's magic had failed, which was next to impossible given she'd witnesses at least 3 portrait arguments on her way here, or someone was using it. Hermione had no idea how someone could possibly have found the Room, but she did know that she needed to know who.

As if by magic, the coveted door appeared, growing from nowhere. It began to open as she backed away, but she moved too slowly. As the figure emerged, she stepped forwards, only to find herself face-to-face with none other than Draco Malfoy.

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Immediately following his last class, Draco had rushed to the Room of Requirement. Unlike Hufflepuff's gift (yes, he was still ticked off about that), it was one of Hogwart's secrets that the Malfoy library had retained during the generations, and he promised himself he'd only use it when necessary.

"To become dependent on anything or anybody is _weak_." His father's voice still echoed in his mind.

He knew exactly what to wish for as he paced beside the wall. _I need a comfortable room with a Pensieve...that nobody can get into. I need a comfortable room with a Pensieve that nobody can get into. I need a comfortable room with a Pensieve that nobody can get into._

The familiar door had appeared before he finished his last pace, and he quickly entered, throwing a cautious look over his shoulder. He'd have known if someone'd followed him, but one could never be too careful.

Draco pulled the vial out of his pocket, uncorking it gently and pouring the memory into the tall, stone basin. He ran his fingers along the runes before gripping the sides tightly.

"Now or never." He whispered, before plunging his head in.

* * *

As he pulled his head out, he didn't know whether to be furious at her hiding it, suspicious of her intentions, embarrassed because he'd had no idea or...unquestioningly grateful for the first display of selfless kindness he'd seen in years. Not from his parents. Not from his friends. His parents always expected things in return. Be it, living up to their Malfoy expectations or achieving a grade, very little they'd done had been purely selfless. His friends were Slytherins. Despite the nagging voice in the back of his head regarding Hermione's previous comments about true Slytherins, there were certain traits that they all displayed. Anybody sorted into Slytherin house quickly learnt that they didn't do anything without wanting something in return. Even Pansy...

Draco let that thought trail off right there. Pansy was a special case. She was...Pansy.

But Hermione? He remembered that day. He remembered feigning confidence despite his fear that he would lose both the duel and any status he had in his house. He remembered taunting the two Gryffindors in order to distract them as he relied on his sense of self-preservation. The same sense that was telling him to forget it happened and move on with his life.

He ignored it.

She'd protected his back and reprimanded her friends and never even mentioned it for credit, all for some misguided sense of righteousness. That didn't add up. There must have been more to it. Unless...

She wanted something. The little bitch must have set this entire thing up just to get some kind of favour from him. No wonder he'd never heard of this "Hufflepuff's gift". She _must_ have been lying.

'What about the glow?' whispered the voice in his head as it played devil's advocate. 'Do you really think a muggle could create that glow?'

No, they couldn't. But as much as he'd made fun of her, Hermione Granger was not a muggle. Hermione Granger was the brightest-witch-of-her age and, as she'd said herself, it was not self-proclaimed.

As he mused this, Draco got up, intending on going to the Astronomy tower to think for a while. He decided he needed some time with his thoughts, only to discover that the object of his feelings of fury and betrayal was standing before him, looking as shocked to see him there as he was to see her.

Hermione Granger.

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"Um, I should..." Hermione made to duck around him into the room, not even considering the possibility that the Room would not yet have changed.

She scanned the room, noticing that it was almost a complete replica of the Gryffindor Common Room, with green and silver accents replacing the scarlet and gold. The Slytherin Common Room. And in the centre of the room? She approached it unthinkingly, her legs pulling her towards it despite her thoughts telling her not to.

A Pensieve. Which meant? She snapped around to look at Draco, who had walked into the room and was now sitting on one of the green sofas in preparation. He'd seen it.

"Well?" Her question hung in the air.

"What the _hell_ was that, Granger?" Hermione flinched at his tone. And he'd called her Granger. She'd been expecting a reaction, certainly, but a negative one? What did he mean?

"What?" Her voice came out as barely a whisper.

"You _know_ what, Granger. What games are you playing at? What exactly do you want in return for _'saving me'_ in first year? Well?" He had gotten up now, and was advancing towards her, spitting out each word. Hermione flushed in fury. After all that he'd _dare_ assume that she'd shown him for some kind of payback. He mistook her fury for guilt. "Even now you look guilty. How dare you do that to a Malfoy! You bloody _bitch!_ Trying to mess around with my emotions and mind by setting up this ridiculous charade and story just to trick me. Hufflepuff's gift? Please. You're a fake and you're pathetic if you really thought some random even from years ago would ever make me not despise you." Hermione was not going to take this sitting down any longer.

"You are an absolute _arse,_ Draco Malfoy." Her voice was firm and hard, but was not raised. She did not say it as an accusation, but as a fact. "In the past 36 hours alone you've watched me break down, panic and then _show you my fucking memories_ of an event you _blackmailed_ me into telling you." She watched, her glare unforgiving as he hesitated in realisation; she'd shown him the memories. How he'd overlooked that little detail, she'd never know. "On top of that, I swore a _fucking oath_ that required me to be _fucking honest,_ if you recall?" She watched shame cloud his gaze, and looked away. "As far as _I'm_ concerned, you have no right to demand anything else from me. Consider that little debt from this summer paid in full." She turned, refusing to meet his eyes as she seethed in fury.

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Draco was shocked. How had he forgotten the memories? He could distinguish a fake in seconds, and hers were anything but.

And the oath? The fucking oath? How could he...what was he...

He'd ruined it. The one of the few people who, in the past day alone, had shown they (kind-of) trusted, understood and didn't hate him. The one person who should hate him that didn't. And he'd. He's breathing became heavy as he sunk to his knees on the soft emerald carpet. He shook slightly as he fought with himself, trying to keep his barriers up, but failing completely.

"Draco? Are you okay? What's going on?" His breathing must have been louder than he'd thought to attract her attention. Even now she studied him, still concerned for his well-being in spite of everything he'd said mere moments before.

"Why should you care? You're right." That stumped her, and Draco continued, every word pure honesty. This was no longer a game. "I jumped to conclusions, I yelled at you, I...I..." His lip began to tremble, but he kept it as stiff as he could. He'd exposed enough of himself to her without having to cry. Malfoys didn't cry. "I can't remember the last time someone did something for me without asking for anything in return." He admitted, embarrassed to say so and loathing himself for giving her more against him. The Gryffindor knelt beside him, her previous anger forgotten. He looked down, not wanting to see neither pity nor remaining fury in her eyes.

"This is a bit of role-reversal, isn't it?" She murmured, trying and failing at a light-hearted laugh as she reached up to touch his cheek. He flinched away as a reflex, surprised to see her quickly retracting her hand before reaching again. This time he didn't stop her. Her soft palm touched his cheek, moving his head up to look at her. "It's not a crime to have feelings, Draco. I would know."

For a while they simply sat there, time flying by as she looked at him; her expression was empty of fury, but he could still see traces of pity there. He stiffened.

"Don't pity me, Hermione." He muttered, and she looked up, both guilty and surprised.

"I don't mean any offence, Draco, I just can't...I can't help it. It's not meant to be condescending, it's just...let's just say I have experience with people only doing things to get favours from..." The last statement trailed off, and Draco could sense her bitterness despite the neutral tone. He watched her look away before turning back with a smile on her face, and made a mental note to ask her about it later.

"Why're you smiling, firecracker?" Her smile got wider.

"You called me, Hermione." She said simply, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. She pulled herself up, offering a hand to him as he stood. He took it gratefully, happy to let her lead him to one of the sofas. "While we're here, Draco, you might as well see the third task." Draco nodded in acceptance, drawing his wand and cocking his head sideways to her.

"Not Legilimency." She answered his unspoken question. "Where's the vial?" He offered it to her wordlessly then watched in awe as she pulled out her memory; it was effortless, leaving him completely transfixed by the strand floating from the end of her wand. "Did you know," Hermione said, "that working with memories is a branch of magic closely linked to Occlumency. They're both forms of magic that require your core and mind to fuse completely illogically. That's why it requires meditation; mediation is not only a relaxation and tension-relieving method, nor is it purely a way to be at peace with your thoughts. It is a logical way of controlling illogical magic." Draco half absorbed this information, choosing instead to file it away for later. He chose instead to follow her to the Pensieve.

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"The memory has two parts." Hermione was praying she didn't regret this, especially after his previous actions. However, she understood what it was like to feel...used. Before Harry and Ron befriended her - even after that - Hermione had often been used by those wanting help with homework or a teacher. She understood his unwillingness to believe it was selfless, but also knew he must have suspicions about whether it was more than that. Truth be told, she wasn't either. "The third part was the one many failed at, not due to the knowledge the first required of both worlds...nor due to the strength required to choose loyalty to integrity over loyalty to those in the wrong, as in the second task. To succeed in the third task, you have to qualify. It is the only task in which you get any information, and even then, it's not easy. She took his hand, and together they plunged into the memory.

 **It looked late. Hermione knew that Draco must have recognised the Gryffindor girls' dorms from her previous memories, and from his...let's say 'broomstick activities' in fourth year. He looked around, noting that all the hangings were closed, but his eyes were drawn to the single one which had a dim light glowing behind it.**

 **"No prizes for guess whose reading behind their bed hangings." She whispered in his ear, and he chuckled slightly, probably at his previous confusion. "It's starting." she whispered, directing his gaze towards the now familiar white light in the room. As Riverla began to form, the hangings around Memory Hermione's bed began to open. Present Hermione smiled fondly at her younger self; how she'd grown up since then.**

 **"Miss Riverla?" The child asked, and the ghost smiled in response.**

 **"Come with me,** **Ca** **riño." The ghost whispered, her accented voice sliding over the words. The younger Hermione obeyed without question, and the older one laughed at Draco's wonder when the dorm faded into Hufflepuff's room. "Vale, Se** **ñ** **orita Granger," Riverla whispered, "I never do this... _nunca_...but here's the thing: I like you, ****Ca** **riño, and I want you to succeed." Hermione saw her younger self's expressions go from surprised, to grateful, to flattered, to resignation as she registered the situation.**

 **Older Hermione remembered her thought process that day. It had been so tempting just to accept Riverla's offer, but thank Merlin she hadn't. In the memory, Helga Hufflepuff's daughter continued.**

 **"Quiero ayudarte, Hermione." The ghost whispered, raising a pale, transparent hand up to Hermione's face. "I want you to succeed. I can give you information..." She trailed off as the younger Hermione shook her head in determination.**

 **"Gracias, Miss Riverla." Her voice was quiet, the young girl's gratitude ringing forth in every syllable. "But, as much as I would love to accept your help, I will not have truly succeeded if I accepted your help. It would be...wrong." Hermione watched Draco's reaction carefully, but was shocked to see that he showed no trace of surprise. He probably thought it was a 'typical Gryffindor' response. Then again, he'd just seen a memory proving that Gryffindors were not always noble...**

 **"But, Hermione." Riverla protested. "** **Ca** **riño. It would be so much easier, and it would make me very grateful if you would accept this small token from me. Let me help you with the third task. Then when you get the gift, I can properly train you. Think of all you could learn! About magic! About your power!" The memory Hermione hesitated, looking physically pained at the emotional conflict within her. The ghost was insisting she accept, but Hermione's gut had told her to ignore it. The atmosphere had become thick with tension, and the older Hermione found herself holding her breath, despite having lived it already.**

 **"No, Miss Riverla. As tempting as your offer is, I _cannot_ accept it." Looking back, Hermione snorted at her younger self's insistence. Even now, having accepted that some rules must be broken, she would not even cheat on a small and minor class test (not that class tests could be deemed as small or minor), let alone cheat on a secret, ancient Founder's task in order to gain a magical gift. Draco's lack of surprise made sense now. **

**All of a sudden, in the memory, a bright golden globe of energy appeared in the room. It began small, but grew into a flaming ball of power. The both Draco and the younger Hermione looked on in a combination of shock and terror, and each of them took an unconscious step back. The ghost looked smug, and simply bowed her head.**

 **Forming from the light was a beautiful woman. She was not as young as Riverla, nor as old as say, Professor McGonagall, but there was something about the woman that was simply timeless. As if she carried centuries of wisdom, but was hardly undone by the years she'd lived. It was sudden, yet gradual. One moment she was a ball of light, the next a beautiful figure, yet there was no shocking flash or dramatic noise, but a simple graceful transition. Her face was both soft and sculpted at once, and her figure was healthy but fit. She smiled, her rose lips turning up at the sides and her bright gold eyes gently crinkling in the corners. She wore long flowing robes which surrounded and draped around her flatteringly. Her hair was a rich golden colour combined with a pinkish tinge, and was piled upon her head elegantly. The glow receded slightly, but some remained, bathing her in an ethereal light, whilst still leaving her warm and gentle.**

 **This woman of contradictions offered Riverla a smile, to which the ghost gave a slight bowing curtsy before embracing her.**

 **"Mamá!" Riverla cried, and Hermione watched as her younger self and Draco both gasped in realisation, jaws dropped to the floor.**

 **"Hello, mi amor." The Helga Hufflepuff said as Riverla released her, before she swept across the room, making her way towards Hermione, who immediately curtsied low.**

 **"Lady Hufflepuff." She greeted, formally, and even the older Hermione bowed her head reflexively in respect, but the kindly lady waved the young girl off, touching her forehead gently.**

 **"No need for formalities, my dear. In fact, after this final task, which I have every confidence you'll succeed in, I think you'll find we'll spend a lot of time together. I always like to join Riverla in training and teaching those who prove themselves worthy of my gift. There are often decades between each one."**

 **Memory Hermione smiled, muttering something unintelligible in her awe.**

 **"You've passed through the penultimate obstacle, dear. By refusing my daughter's help, you've proved yourself worthy to attempt the final task. It's a gruelling process, I know, but such power cannot go to just anyone." Memory Hermione nodded in understanding, opening her mouth to ask one of the millions of questions she had, but Helga cut her off. "The final task requires a combination of book logic and pure common sense. Normally, I would set up a scenario, but frankly, your situation - even in this scenario - is anything but normal. I have a feeling there will be a perfect opportunity for the task in your near future. That is all I can tell you."**

As the scene changed, Draco turned to Hermione, his eyes wide with shock.

"You mean, you turned down help because you didn't think it was right? And _that_ was what qualified you? Wow...that is such a Hufflepuff thing to-" Hermione cut him off sharply.

"Don't you dare..."

"Kidding, kidding!" Draco teased, holding up his hands in surrender as he watched her furious expression fade away, replaced by amusement and exasperation. "What's next?"

"The task." She said, simply. "How much do you know regarding what happened in first year? With the Philosopher's stone?"

"All I know is that you, Potter and Weasel ran off without permission, attacked a teacher and got lots of house points at the end of the year. Might I remark that Dumbledore could have awarded those directly after your 'bravery', but chose to do lull Slytherins into a false feeling of achievement and victory before pulling the carpet right out from under them." Draco wasn't bitter. Promise.

"There was a little bit more to it. We were going to stop Voldemort," Draco flinched unconsciously, but she ignored him. "From finding the Philosopher's stone whilst possessing Quirrell and using it to regain a body. To get to it, we had to bypass the obstacles the Professors had already set in order to _protect_ the stone. Little did they know that one of their own had a Dark Lord growing out of the back of his head. The memory you're about to see regards one of the final tasks and the aftermath."

Draco nodded, bracing himself as the scene reformed.

 **They stepped over the threshold and immediately a fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. It wasn't ordinary fire either; it was purple. At the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading onwards. They were trapped…**

 **"Ron!" Memory Hermione cried, looking back towards where they'd left their ginger friend.**

 **"Hermione, not now!" Harry insisted. " We can go back later - look here!" A table stood between them and the black flames. On it stood 7 Potion bottles of different sizes, as well as a piece of parchment.**

 **"This must be Professor Snape's task..." Memory Hermione murmured, picking up the parchment. On it was scrawled the words 'Open Me' in Professor Snape's distinct scrawl. Very Alice-in-Wonderland like. "I wouldn't have figured Professor Snape for a muggle literature fan." Draco shot the older Hermione a quizzical look, but she waved him off with a quick 'Later', and they continued to watch the scene unfold.**

 **Memory Hermione opened the parchment before clearing her throat and reading out loud.**

 **"Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,**  
 **Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,**  
 **One among us seven will let you move ahead,**  
 **Another will transport the drinker back instead,**  
 **Two among our number hold only nettle wine,**  
 **Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.**  
 **Choose, unless you wish to stay here for evermore,**  
 **To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:**  
 **First, however slyly the poison tries to hide**  
 **You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;**  
 **Second, different are those who stand at either end,**  
 **But if you would move onwards, neither is your friend;**  
 **Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,**  
 **Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;**  
 **Fourth, the second left and the second on the right**  
 **Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight."**

 **Older Hermione watched as her younger counterpart registered exactly what this moment was, at exactly the same time as Draco did.**

 **"The third task." He murmured, and she nodded in confirmation, as her younger counterpart exclaimed excitedly.**

 **"Brilliant!** **This isn't magic – it's logic – a puzzle.** **A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever." The young bushy-haired Gryffindor was bouncing up and down in excitement as her eyes greedily absorbed the information in the poem.**

 **Minutes later, after much mumbling and shushing on both Hermione's parts, the girl pointed to the third bottle from the left.**

 **"According to the poem, that should logically be it." Memory Hermione said, smugly. As Harry lunged for it, she quickly held him back. "Stop, Harry! Let me test it!"**

 **"There's only enough for one person, Hermione." Harry protested, panicking.**

 **"Not like that, Harry! I can test it in case the Dark Lord following _Professor_ we are chasing after _switched_ the bloody potions." Harry looked taken aback by the swearing, and older Hermione couldn't help but laugh a bit at his expression. "Think about it, Harry," she continued. "If somebody is ahead of us, doesn't it seem _odd_ that there is still a full vial of this potion required to get past the black flames?" Both Memory Harry and Older Draco slammed their hands against their foreheads at the obvious statement. Meanwhile, Memory Hermione had whipped out her wand and said, "Specialis Revelio". It was one of those spells that was hard to find, but easy to perform, and the spell revealed that the Potion was in fact poison. **

**"Lucky I didn't drink it, eh, Hermione?" Harry attempted to joke, despite the fact he was pale and shaking from his umpteenth brush with death.**

 **Memory Hermione ignored him, opening each bottle and examining their contents. She finally settled on the 6th one.**

 **"This is not nettle wine nor is it poisoned, therefore it must be the moving forwards potion. The one to go back is therefore this one." She held up a bottle after testing it for poison as well. Harry took the former from her hand before sniffing it.**

 **"There might be enough for both of us." His question was implied, but Memory Hermione shook her head.**

 **"You go Harry, I'll go back, get Ron, and Dumbledore, and McGonagall."**

 **"I'll get Snape." Harry muttered, then downed the Potion and walked through the flames. Both Hermione's released a breath they hadn't realised they'd been holding.**

 **"Always so presumptuous, Harry." Memory Hermione muttered, before downing her own Potion and heading towards the flame.**

The scene faded, and the familiar Hospital Wing appeared.

 **Older Hermione smiled fondly at Madam Pomfrey, who was currently hovering around Harry, ensuring he was asleep before she herself retired for the night. She lead Draco towards her younger self, only a few beds down.**

 **"Watch carefully - or you'll miss it." Hermione advised him, and he obligingly locked eyes with the younger version of herself. As she said that, the curtains began to draw themselves, and the pair had to walk around to the opening in order to see what was going on.**

 **In reverse of how Riverla and her mother had appeared in the previous memories, Memory Hermione began to fade into a gentle golden glow. Draco gasped.**

 **"That glow...that is _The_ Glow, isn't it?" Older Hermione nodded. "But it isn't always the same colour!" Draco protested.**

 **"It changes depending on the intention of the power, but that's a complex Alchemic branch of magic that I'll explain later." She waved him off, and waited for the glow to disappear before the scene dissolved into the warm, comfortable and now, easily-recognisable room that Hermione had first discovered the gift. The Hufflepuff founder was already their, sitting daintily on a grand chair, no so different to that of Professor Dumbledore's in the Great Hall. Her robe was somehow even more opulent than before, yet she still oozed of kindness and class all at once. Her daughter, whom Hermione had grown to love and remember, was sitting beside her, no longer in ghostly form. She was entirely solid, and Memory Hermione gasped upon seeing her.**

 **"Lady Hufflepuff. Riverla." She offered, tentatively, unsure on how to address the situation.**

 **"Bienvenido, Hermione." Greeted Riverla, grinning.**

 **"Yes, welcome." Helga added, widening her arms as if to embrace her. "I'm am pleased and greatly proud that you were able to succeed." Hermione had not been able to absorb her accent previously, but now identified that in the English accent was a tinge of Spanish; less so than Riverla, but a tinge nonetheless. Memory Hermione gasped in realisation.**

 **"The logic puzzle, I knew was the Potions...but the common sense..."**

 **"Checking for poison and deducing that the assailant must have drunk some of the Potion, therefore the bottle could not be full." Helga confirmed, proudly. She rose, and even in the memory, both Hermione and Draco bowed their head slightly. She simply exuded power, grace and a right to be respected. Older Hermione whispered in Draco's ear.**

 **"Lady Hufflepuff was not the most powerful founder in terms of raw power; that was Gryffindor. Nor was she the most powerful in terms of knowledge about _spells,_ like Ravenclaw, or the most powerful in terms of strategy, which was obviously Slytherin. Lady Hufflepuff however, had the most _magic_. Ask any Unspeakable and they will tell you that the measure of magic is the magical core, but my Lady had the most magic simply because she not only earnt it and nurtured it during her muggle years, but she _understood_ the deepest magical concepts that even Albus Dumbledore would tremble before." She watched Draco stiffen, then relax in acceptance. Meanwhile, the conversation had continued without them**

 **"...earnt my gift, and if you are prepared, I'd like to grant it to you now." Helga continued. Memory Hermione nodded emphatically, bracing herself. "It will be...an experience, my dear. This summer will give you time to explore it, as without a wand it will not register. I would know." Her slight wink did nothing to assuage Memory Hermione's obvious nerves. "Come your second year, Riverla and I will train you. You will begin to learn use of your gift, but control? Whilst we can control it within training, learning to control emotions that cause the gift's exposition is just a part of growing up, and that's up to you." Memory Hermione looked on the verge of trembling, looking up to Riverla for guidance, who merely gestured her towards Hufflepuff, gently whispering.**

 **"It's like a knighthood, Cari** **ño." Memory Hermione understood immediately, and kneeled before Lady Hufflepuff. Older Hermione led Draco over to a settee nearby and sat down, gesturing for him to join her.**

 **"This'll take a while, but my Lady said some very important things, which I'll explain later."** **Throughout the ritual, Lady Hufflepuff muttered in Latin, but both Hermione's and Draco still only caught parts of it.**

 **"Potentum munera mea benedic...Donum mea ut benedicat mihi magicis heredis _...fortior vinculum quam magica sanguine..."_**

 **As the Lady whispered, Hermione translated parts of it generally to Draco.**

 **"Bless with my own powerful gift...bless my magical gift to my heir...a bond of magic stronger than blood..."**

 **A great golden light surrounded Memory Hermione, and she rose off the ground as it encompassed her, her arms outstretched and head thrown back. The ceiling of the room began to rise as she did, preventing her from hitting it. Lady Hufflepuff merely kept her eyes closed and continued her chanting.**

 **"Always told you were a firecracker, Hermione." Draco whispered to her, as Riverla looked up at Hermione's younger counterpart in wonder, muttering under her breath.**

 **"No matter how many times I see this, siempre es indescriptible. Always." And then she turned to look _directly at Draco and Hermione._ "Do you trust him?" Riverla mouthed at the older Hermione, whilst Lady Hufflepuff did nothing to acknowledge it at all.**

 **"I..." It was the moment of truth. Hermione could feel Draco tensed in preparation for her denial. "Yes..." She breathed, looking Riverla in the eye. "It may not seem so, but with this? Yes." Riverla nodded in acceptance, returning her attention to the glowing girl, now risen 7 metres from the floor.**

 **"Hermione..." Draco whispered, catching her eye, and for a moment they simply stared.**

 **"We should go..." Hermione whispered, taking his hand. "Adios, Riverla. Lady Hufflepuff. Hasta pronto." Both women nodded almost imperceptibly in return, and she took Draco's hand.**

As they left the memory, Hermione had a pit of nerves in her stomach. How would he react to this? Of all that she'd told him...

It had been a long couple of days, and she'd seen the grey-eyed Slytherin furious, vengeful, broken down, grateful and sympathetic. She'd seen the Malfoy behind the Draco, and despite his rage, she still had faith in what they were becoming. Whether it was friends, or just not-enemies, the one thing that gave her reassurance was that all through his tirade, never _once_ did he call her mudblood.

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 _Whew, it's finished. This is definitely the longest chapter I've ever written. I KNOW it's late, but hopefully the fact that it is much longer than usual made up for it. I guess it just took a while to come to the end, as the last paragraph is actually one of the first I wrote - I just had to figure out everything in between!_

 _So, what did you guys think of the final memories? Hopefully Draco's tirade was believable, as I believe his reaction to the memory would have been primarily curious and suspicious about why she did not call in her debt at any point over the past year, when they were throwing around the word "owe"._

 _I made some minor edits to the last few chapters to make it easier to adapt, so check that out if you only read it the day it came out/not as recently. (I love you guys for that; the dedication is unreal.)_

 _I hope you all enjoyed, and had a fantastic week so far!_

 _No Umbridge directly here, but don't worry, she'll be back. Keep in mind it's only been about 24 hours in the story since we saw her last (that is so weird for me - the reveal took 5 whole chapters! Can you believe?). I absolutely love writing for her - the scenes are always so fun to write, even if they may not be as fun to read (sorry if you don't enjoy them!)._

 _Please press that big button saying Review! Even if you don't have an account feel free to post Anonymously/as a Guest. Thanks so much to everybody who reviewed, but there's always room for more, so please REVIEW! That button right down there!_

 _I'm not going to give up on you if I don't get a certain number, it just makes me that little bit more happy every time I go to write a chapter, and it really does make my day! Only so can get some feedback as to my writing style and where to go, be it negative or positive!  
Thank you!_

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_


	17. PAST - So many things, so little time

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Harry Potter... (Although, like many here, I would gladly take it off of Rowling's hands if need be!)**

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 _Hi there!_

 _Thank you so very much to everybody who has favourited/followed!_

 _Also thanks to_ MysticFire101 _for reviewing - Woah, that's fantastic! And don't worry, your questions will be explained and answered; Pansy comes up a lot in this year._

 _Thanks to_ SmokeZombie96 _for reviewing - Glad you enjoyed; the fact he held back becomes important later, so keep that in mind!_

 _Thanks to_ writer wisher _for your review - Thank you! I haven't read that - may try to check it out this summer though, I've had lots of people mention it to me._

 _Also thanks to_ JayBat _for your review - I'm glad I surprised you, and as Hermione tells her story it will begin to make more sense. Questions will be answered!_

 _Also thanks to all the Anonymous Guest reviewers!_

 _Furthermore, thank you to everybody who has favourited or followed my story, and thank you for your insightful PMs - you know who you are!_

 _Please do review! It just makes me feel that little bit better about writing these chapters! Also - it's great to hear what you're getting from a different perspective, so I know if I need to adjust my writing. Let me know what you think will happen next!_

 _Last chapter:_

 _1\. Pansy finds Draco in the library as he thinks about the memory and he is forced to lie when she reminds him that he's in the "make-out corner". He promises himself that he'll view the memory that night._

 _2\. After teasing Harry and Ron, Hermione manages to get through the rest of the day before heading for the Room of Requirement, where she bumps into Draco._

 _3\. Meanwhile, Draco views the memory, but emerges emotionally conflicted, convincing himself that Hermione is trying to get something from him and has been lying the entire time. After he runs into her, he explodes with anger, his frustration evident, and accuses her of lying about everything._

 _4\. Hermione, in turn, responds angrily, reminding him that she made an oath to be honest and he'd been blackmailing her throughout._

 _5\. Draco immediately feels foolish, and Hermione sees his vulnerable side. He explains his trust issues and she shows him the third task and her receiving her powers._

 _6\. In her memory, it is revealed that the Memory versions of the Hufflepuffs can see the Older Draco and Hermione. Hermione reveals to both Draco and Riverla that she trusts him. Following the ordeal, Hermione finds comfort in the fact that, through his rant, Draco never called her a mudblood._

 _PLEASE NOTE THAT I MADE SOME MINOR UPDATES/EDITS TO PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. THEY'RE NOT SUPER MAJOR PLOT CHANGES, BUT THE STORY WILL PROBABLY FALL INTO PLACE MORE EASILY IF YOU GO BACK AND RE-READ THEM. Up to you, though!_

 _Do review, lovelies! A little click will just make my day._

 _Parts of the story in bold are FLASHBACKS/MEMORIES. This isn't really a concept I want to overuse, but it's pretty essential here; sorry if bold bothers you, I will try to remain inoffensive. ;)_

 _We are moving away from relatively canon-compliant - whilst the beginning "PAST" scenes slip in quite comfortably, as the story progresses, key changes are made._

 _If you get confused, as I'm not the clearest writer, Legilimency conversations will have '*'s around them._

 ** _I'm in my intense exam period right now, so I'm sorry to say that this is not a number one priority. If I miss updates, I will try to make them up, but as soon as my exams are over my updates will get regular again (it's only for about 6 weeks!)._**

 _Just to confirm due to confusion: I update every two weeks roughly, but my hectic schedule may make it a day or so late sometimes._

 _So far keeping updates regular, but they will potentially slow down a_ _tiny bit_ _as we get deeper into the story. Any ideas and thoughts are appreciated! Without further ado..._

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_

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PAST - So many things, so little time

As they left the memory, Hermione had a pit of nerves in her stomach. How would he react to this? Of all that she'd told him...

It had been a long couple of days, and she'd seen the grey-eyed Slytherin furious, vengeful, broken down, grateful and sympathetic. She'd seen the Malfoy behind the Draco, and despite his rage, she still had faith in what they were becoming. Whether it was friends, or just not-enemies, the one thing that gave her reassurance was that all through his tirade, never _once_ did he call her mudblood.

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Draco stifled a yawn delicately as he slid into his unofficially reserved spot on the bench in the middle of the Slytherin table. It had been exactly 5 days since Hermione had shown him the third task and final ceremony, but he knew the story was nowhere near over. He thought back to the conversation they'd had afterwards.

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As they left the memory, Draco could feel the Gryffindor tense beside him. Once they returned to the room, she led him to the sofa and they sat down. He stared at her in awe, whilst she gazed back, frozen, the dread clear in her eyes. After a minute of staring, Draco broke the silence.

"Um...uh...Merlin...wow?" He was uncharacteristically inarticulate, but who could blame him? She'd shown him a solid version of a Hogwarts' founder granting her eleven-year-old self incredible and dangerous powers after she'd faced 6 obstacles many grown wizards would struggle with, whilst he'd just been busy combing his hair.

"Loquacious." She remarked, drily, and his mouth curved in response.

"Naturally." He quipped back between chuckles. "Seriously, though. Wow." She smiled, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment. Without thinking, he reached up to gently brush the attractive pink tinge with his fingertips, and marvelled at how soft her skin was.

"Um, Draco" She said, and he immediately caught himself, yanking his hand back down, looking at his knees in humiliation. She smiled comfortingly.

"I didn't mind." She murmured, her words barely distinguishable, and his head snapped up, shocked. What was going on? He hadn't been thinking and she...

"You trust me." He muttered; she looked at him quizzically. "You trust me." He repeated. It was a statement. A bold, sudden, but entirely true statement.

"With this? Yes." She admitted as she wringed her hands, flustered.

"Because of the oath." He couldn't explain why, but his heart sank slightly at the realisation, and he leaned away slightly. Her eyebrows knitted in deep thought and...confusion?

"Not just that, Draco." She admitted, and he looked up at her.

"Why?" How could she give something as precious as her trust to just anyone? How could she force herself to place faith in the person who'd terrorised her life for years, after he'd blackmailed her and yelled at her and-

"I just do." She cut off his thoughts with her soft voice and undeniable honestly. She wore her heart on her sleeve, and Draco prayed it wouldn't be her downfall. "I should hate you." She announced, suddenly.

"Yes, you probably should." He admitted, shutting his eyes, preparing for her to leave. He didn't understand why it hurt so much, but, as she said, sometimes things 'just do'.

"I don't." Her voice had fallen to a whisper, a stark contrast to her previous, strong bravado.

"I know." They lapsed into silence. "I don't hate you, either." He wasn't lying, and she smiled gently, her eyes slightly crinkling as they met his.

"I know." Came the response. They each began to slowly lean in, moving unconsciously and smoothly before-

"Can I ask you something? " He questioned, pushing himself backwards and moving on from the tense, emotional and slightly uncomfortable tone that the meeting had taken. She shook her head slightly, looking as dazed as he felt as she registered the question, nodding in agreement.

"How about a question for a question?" A small part of him was tempted to bring up the blackmail, but he quashed that thought immediately, nodding in agreement.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" It was a reasonably question; if he'd been all powerful and held the secrets of magic, he would probably want people to know.

"It's a secret." She said simply, as if it was obvious. He gestured for her to elaborate, and she continued. "Secret for many reasons. Firstly, how could Lady Hufflepuff find worthy candidates for her gift if everyone was looking to impress her? Can you honestly say it hasn't briefly occurred to you over the past few days to try to emulate my actions to become noticed?" He couldn't. "Secondly, can you imagine the Ministry? This Umbridge woman has come purely because Harry told a story that _they_ know is true, but don't want other people to believe. It was a risk showing her even a small amount of my power, but I needed to protect Harry. If she knew...if any of the Ministry knew the _true_ extent of my power, then..."

She trailed off, shrugging slightly. Draco didn't argue; he could fill in the blanks himself. She may be claimed by the Unspeakables, registered as dangerous, claimed to be a villain, all of the above. "And finally," she continued, "because Lady Hufflepuff said it was a secret. I worked the first two out alone, and she confirmed them, but I'd never questioned it. She gives me few direct orders, and keeping the secret was one of them. That's why I made you take an oath, speaking of which." She held out her hand. He grasped it, uncertainly.

"Draco, I know I said I trusted you." Here it comes. She's going to tell me to never speak to her again. "But I need to know that nobody will find out what I've told you." He flinched away, involuntarily, knowing that he probably would expose her if the Dark Lord threatened enough. After all, he hadn't completely forsaken his views; he'd merely found an exception. Every rule had a few. She mistook his flinch for hurt at her apparent distrust, and was quick to reassure. "I'm not accusing you of anything!" _You should be._ "It may be involuntary: Veritaserum, Torture, Legilimency. There is a war starting, and I need to know that my secrets are protected." He nodded in acquiescence.

"What oath is it, Hermione?" He saw her smile slightly at hearing him say her name, and almost felt...guilty.

"Not exactly the Unbreakable Vow." She replied. "It's a variation I created, using it as a base. You won't die. It's not fair if you die just for getting interrogated. But if someone is close to the memories, they will be temporarily Obliviated. The Obliviation is a variation which means that they are inaccessible within your head, but your subconscious still remembers them enough that, if you see me, you won't forget I'd ever told you anything. Simply put: You can find the memory, the interrogator can't. The Obliviation phase lasts for the duration of the interrogation, but afterwards they are still wrapped deep inside the subconscious for up to 3 weeks depending on the strength of the interrogation." She took a deep breath. "I offered you a question for a question; consider this mine. Will you do this for me?"

Her breathing became heavy, and she panted slightly, having spurted out what sounded like a textbook passage, but was truly her own research. He gaped at her, gobsmacked, and she blushed, modestly, her eyes sparkling with happiness at his stunned approval. He nodded slightly, still bewildered as she put one hand over his own and the other on his forehead. They glowed a soft, pastel lavender and he felt a cool breeze rush through his consciousness. It wasn't quite cold, but wasn't pleasant either.

She really was magnificent.

At that point, he didn't care anymore whether it was thought through or whether it was voluntary. As she sat there across from him, cheeks flushed, eyes sparkling, leaning slightly towards him, he reached forwards, place his hands on her cheeks, pulled her towards him, and kissed her.

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Unfortunately, she'd been avoiding him ever since.

'What do you expect?' His inner voice taunted. 'Can you really blame her? She just admitted she trusted you, then you kissed her, she kissed you back, then neither of you talked about it. At _all_ _._ And _you're_ still not sure if you're just messing with her and taking advantage of her kindness or if you actually like her. Work out what you want!' He flinched internally in response, the bitter truth cutting deep.

It had been surprisingly hard work not talking to her; she'd been avoiding him, sure, but he knew that if he'd really wanted to speak to her, he would have found a way.

"Morning, Draco." Pansy said, smiling brightly, sliding in next to Draco and reaching for a piece of toast.

"What's got you in such a great mood, Parkinson." Blaise muttered from across the table. "Not like you to be so chipper in the morning. You're acting like a bloody Hufflepuff." Pansy sneered in response, before pausing and resuming her previous, uncharacteristic 'sunny disposition'. She did not respond to the handsome Italian, instead turning to Draco again.

"How did you sleep, Draco." She asked, politely. He raised an eyebrow at her in disbelief. "What?" She asked, defensively, but he kept staring at her expectantly. "Fine." She muttered, glaring at his look of triumph. "I'm just a little bit excited for Defence Against the Dark Arts today." Across the table, Blaise snorted.

"Like you've ever been excited for an actual lesson, especially not one where the only excitement is Umbridge putting down the Gryffindorks and Mr Draco here kissing her arse in order to get in favour." Draco rolled his eyes; Blaise knew his father's orders. "Besides, I anticipate it will be less entertaining now that the mudblood was put in her place last week." Draco flinched internally at the slur, then reprimanded himself for it.

As Pansy and Blaise bickered, he resumed his inner conflict, praying that all the answers would just come to him straight away.

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Hermione could not deny that she'd been avoiding Draco. The kiss had preyed on her mind many a night since, and she was not looking forward to the inevitable attack she would get in Defence Against the Dark Arts. From Umbridge's smug, open look at her that morning, she had a feeling her little warning would not carry.

She avoided Draco's eye for the third time that day, but she could feel his subtle probing in her mind, requesting entrance as he did every meal. She didn't know how much longer she could hold out for.

The kiss had been spontaneous and unexpected, risky and exciting, passionate and electric. It had confirmed her suspicions about her slight attraction towards him. It could be purely physical; there was no doubt that their physical chemistry was explosive. But he seemed to understand her on an emotional level in a way that Ron or Ginny would never understand. Not even Harry...well, she couldn't blame them. They didn't know. He did.

"You alright, 'Mione." Ron spoke between mouthfuls, leaving his surrounding housemates cringing slightly in disgust. Used to Ron's table manners, or lack thereof, Hermione gave a vague hum in response.

"Promise me that you two will keep your tempers today." She pressed, looking at each of her boys.

"But 'Mione what if-"

"Promise me." She insisted, not letting him finish. Ron pulled a face, grumbling under his breath. As he was about to argue again, Harry cut in.

"We promise, Hermione." He assured her. Hermione watched as Ron flinched, probably from being kicked under the table before muttering his agreement.

"That goes for all of you." She raised her voice slightly, loud enough to attract the attention of her classmates, but not so much that any Professor would suspect. She should have done this in the Common Room. "Nobody question her today." There was no confusion as to who 'she' was, and at their hesitation, Hermione added. "I got a detention for being _completely_ courteous." There were snickers as people remembered the look of fury on the Professor's face when Hermione had used her own logic against her.

"What if she does something like that to you? Or one of us? Are you expecting us to just take it sitting?" Lavender questioned, arrogantly. "That's not very Gryffindor, Hermione." Hermione growled internally at the girl. How dare she claim that Hermione wasn't a true Gryffindor; she kept her emotions inside. If she lost her temper now, her whole point would be destroyed.

"Then I will diplomatically say something." She answered, calmly.

"Why you?" Lavender sneered, her words clearly intended to embarrass Hermione into submission. "Who made you our spokesperson?" She looked around for support, but all her classmates had their eyes riveted on the power struggle. Rather, they were waiting for Hermione to rationally and logical prove her point before taking sides.

"I have the cleanest record." Hermione said, simply. Some of her classmates rolled their eyes, but before she began to explain, Ron cut in.

"Think about it, guys. If one teacher starts giving Miss Model Student loads of detentions, I bet that everyone from Flitwick to McGonagall will back her up as goody-goody student. Even Trelawney, who probably hates your guts, 'Mione, would probably choose you over that toad." Hermione smiled at him in thanks, resisting the urge to look smug as Lavender sat down, embarrassed. After hearing Ron's explanation, most her classmates began to look more favourably on her. Hermione continued, confidently.

"We cannot give her any excuse to get angry. Even if she provokes us. If we stay calm then nobody can place the blame on us when, yes, _when_ , she lashes out. We can claim we are merely innocent victims of a so-called Professor's grudges and prejudices. Whether you believe us about Hisreturn," Harry flinched at the dangerous territory she was heading into, "or not, we are Gryffindors, and we are in this together." Many of her classmates were looking at her as if they'd never seen her before.

"What?" She asked, suddenly slightly bashful.

"Just slightly out of character, Hermione." Dean said, not unkindly. "I mean, who would have thought? Hermione Granger, outright speaking back and rebelling against a teacher, but also plotting and collaborating with her classmates to pin as much blame on said teacher when she lashes out. Oddly Slytherin of you, but I guess it's good you're on our side."

There was a round of fervent nods, many looking slightly disturbed at the idea of her being against them. She laughed slightly, uncomfortable at the admiring looks she was getting. She blushed deeply, and Harry laughed next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Now you know how it feels, Mia." He whispered in her ear, teasingly, before speaking up. "Look at this, Ron. We've finally corrupted her." Ron joined in, laughing.

"Yes, whatever shall we do with her now?" Ron said thoughtfully.

"Honestly, the year she became a prefect as well!" Ginny joined in.

Hermione smiled gratefully, knowing that, seeing her discomfort, they were trying to get some of the attention off her. Sometimes it was nice to just laugh with her friends, and she leaned in to Harry's half hug.

"Thank you." She whispered.

As the people in the Great Hall began to disperse, she heard a couple of voices behind her.

"Hey, Granger." Fred chirped, brightly.

"Nice speech." His twin added.

"Thanks, guys." Hermione said, smiling. There were few people who could brighten up a room like the Weasley Twins. Even without their jokes and pranks, they exuded an infectious aura of _fun._

"See you later." They said in unison, before vanishing into the crowd. She shook her head slightly, not sure what to make of them. Who would believe that they were in their last year of school already? She made towards the doors to the Great Hall; she had Arithmancy first, whilst Ron and Harry still took Divination.

"Sit with us in Defence?" Harry asked, slinging his bag over his shoulder as he and Ron dropped into step beside her.

"My inner eye can see that we shall sit together." She said ominously, her voice deep and hands flourishing dramatically. Ron rolled his eyes.

"See you, 'Mione."

* * *

Arithmancy was interesting as always. They were getting into the Arithmatical difference between a 'Dark' spell and a 'Light' spell.

"Whilst spells are based on intention," Professor Vector lectured, "there _is_ a significant difference between the expanded version of a traditionally 'Dark' spell and that of a 'Light spell'. The expanded version needs to be simplified to cause the power variable to act as an indicator. If we take _Rictusempra_ as an example." She flicked her wand, and the chalk began writing on the board. "We can compare it to, say, _Confringo_." She flicked her wand again. "Who can tell me the difference? Miss Granger?" She asked.

"The 'Lighter' spell always simplifies into an expression containing the square root of the variable 'p' whereas the 'Darker' Spell simplifies to an expression based on a power of 'p'."

"Correct." Professor Vector praised.

"Professor?" Hermione asked. "Do any spells have the variable 'p' to the power of zero?"

"Good question. It's to do with the power required compared with the power output. Could you explain why the 'Light' and 'Dark' spell have the variation of 'p' that they have?" The Professor said, unsurprised at her deduction. Hermione thought carefully. She'd been so busy with Draco that she hadn't recapped today's material, but she was sure this hadn't come up in her summer reading.

"I'm not sure, but if I can speculate?" The Professor waved her hand in agreement, and Hermione ignored the surprised look of her classmates. Contrary to their beliefs, she didn't know everything. Everything she did know she knew from working, learning and revising, as well as reading ahead. "Well, if the variable 'p' is equivalent to power, then the 'Light' spell requires less power and the 'Dark' spell requires more."

"Yes, Miss Granger. And spells with a 'p' variable to the power of 0 are spells like _Lumos_ or _Incendio_ or _Aguamenti_. Spells that involve elemental or vital forces of the Universe."

"Of course!" Hermione explained, before catching herself. "Sorry, Professor it's just...it's just so logical!" Professor Vector laughed in agreement. Then it hit her. "I assume the magnitude of the power is dependent on the power of the output. The Unforgivables are considered the 'Darkest' spells known, would I be right in saying that the Unforgivables have the highest power of 'p'? The death curse probably the most."

"Your explanation was correct, but your theory? Close, Miss Granger, but not quite." The class sat in stunned silence; the class often debated controversial or interesting branches of magic, but this theory far surpassed anything they'd covered. The air was thick with anticipation, the room quiet enough to hear a pin drop. "Larger powers are required for theoretically 'Darker' spells. Correct. The Unforgivables have the highest power. Correct. But of the Unforgivables, the _Avada Kedavra_ has the lowest power." Many flinched at the words. " Would anybody like to hasten a guess as to why?"

Hermione did not lift her hand. Ideas were flying around her head, but she didn't want to think about the answer.

"Mr Zabini?" All head snapped towards the Slytherin as he dropped his half-raised hand. Few enough people chose the option and continued it to fifth year that the houses were all merged into one. He and Draco were the only Slytherins, but both managed to restrict their taunts during this class. Arithmancy was hard enough without the social politics evident in other classes.

"Of the three..." he began. His voice was barely louder than a whisper, but the whole class heard him. Hermione held her breath, both desperate and terrified for the explanation. She had a feeling that this wasn't a guess, that he'd be right. "Of the three," he repeated, voice strong, "causing a short, painless, quick death requires the least power. It is _comparatively_ easy to overwhelm and destroy a core than it is to, manipulate it."

"Yes." Professor Vector breathed. "Can you order the other two?" They'd gone far from the syllabus at that point, but the class was not about to let up. Zabini shook his head, fumbling for words.

"The one with the second most power would be the torture curse." Draco continued for him. The professor's eyes widened in shock before she nodded, gesturing for him to expand. "Whilst it takes more power to torture a person than it does to quickly kill them, it takes more power to control. To invade someone's mind, to take their control, shape their thoughts and actions, requires more power than is needed to...kill them."

The class was silent. At some point, Hermione couldn't identify exactly when, this had gone from theoretical to real, and it had hit everyone in the class as would speak of it outside this room, she knew that for sure. There was little doubt in her mind that those who would have any other time, would be too terrified to force the words out.

Draco met her eyes, and she almost jumped at the myriad of emotions she could see in his shining, grey pools. Fear. Guilt. Confusion. Desperation. Regret. Apology. So many questions. And, louder than the rest. Shame.

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 _There it is..._

 _Yes, I know, they kissed. Sorry if you felt it was sudden, but I tried to emphasise that it wasn't a sudden confession of love. It was more of an 'unexplained tension and attraction' that came to a peak at that point, and neither of them are quite sure what to make of._

 _In other news, what did you guys think of the Arithmancy lesson? I'm not going to pretend to know anything about it, but I sort of just started writing it and it happened. Sorry if it doesn't quite make sense._

 _I made some minor edits to the last few chapters to make it easier to adapt, so check that out if you only read it the day it came out/not as recently. (I love you guys for that; the dedication is unreal.)_

 _I hope you all enjoyed, and had a fantastic week so far!_

 _No Umbridge here, but next chapter will be brimming with toad, don't worry._

 _Please press that big button saying Review! Even if you don't have an account feel free to post Anonymously/as a Guest. Thanks so much to everybody who reviewed, but there's always room for more, so please REVIEW! That button right down there!_

 _I'm not going to give up on you if I don't get a certain number, it just makes me that little bit more happy every time I go to write a chapter, and it really does make my day! Only so can get some feedback as to my writing style and where to go, be it negative or positive!  
Thank you!_

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_


	18. PAST - She would be his

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Harry Potter... (Although, like many here, I would gladly take it off of Rowling's hands if need be!)**

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 _Hi, guys!_

 _Wow it's been a while since I updated - apologies for the hiatus, I know firsthand how frustrating that can be!_

 _Thank you to all of you who read, reviewed and waited anxiously in the interim._ _I can't quite excuse it, but I promise I'll make an effort to update this more frequently, even if its not regularly_ _._

 _I recommend a re-read before this chapter; I needed one too!_

 _A reminder of the previous chapter:_

 _1\. Draco reacts to the memories; after ensuring he can't be manipulated into exposing her secret, Hermione and Draco share a kiss._

 _2\. Hermione dodges Draco, instead encouraging her fellow Gryffindors to rally around her in the fight against Umbridge, and with the support of Harry and Ron, she succeeds._

 _3\. Draco and Blaise surprise their fellow classmates by speculating on the Unforgivable Curses during Arithmancy, and Hermione notices there may be more to Draco than she ever could have suspected._

 _PLEASE NOTE THAT I MADE SOME MINOR UPDATES/EDITS TO PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. THEY'RE NOT SUPER MAJOR PLOT CHANGES, BUT THE STORY WILL PROBABLY FALL INTO PLACE MORE EASILY IF YOU GO BACK AND RE-READ THEM. Up to you, though!_

 _Do review, lovelies! A little click will just make my day._

 _Parts of the story in bold are FLASHBACKS/MEMORIES. This isn't really a concept I want to overuse, but it's pretty essential here; sorry if bold bothers you, I will try to remain inoffensive. ;)_

 _We are moving away from relatively canon-compliant - whilst the beginning "PAST" scenes slip in quite comfortably, as the story progresses, key changes are made._

 _If you get confused, as I'm not the clearest writer, Legilimency conversations will have '*'s around them._

 _Thanks for returning - its good to see you all again!_

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_

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PAST - She would be his

 **Draco met her eyes, and she almost jumped at the myriad of emotions she could see in his shining, grey pools. Fear. Guilt. Confusion. Desperation. Regret. Apology. So many questions. And, louder than the rest. Shame.**

* * *

 _"To invade someone's mind...more power than to...kill them."_

Even hours later, Hermione could still hear Draco's words echoed around her head, sending her mind to places it had never considered. Thoughts of their fleeting kiss had vanished from her mind, replaced with questions upon questions. What could he have done to cause himself so much pain? Or had it been someone else's pain reflected in those conflicted grey eyes?

"'Mione?" Ron's voice broke her out of her reverie. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her head, focusing on the shifting corridors ahead of them.

"Mmmhmm?"

"You spaced out a bit. Don't wanna risk doing that in front of Umbridge!" Harry warned, amused at her absentmindedness.

"Umbridge...right..." She responded, attention returning to the task at hand. She nodded at Dean and Parvati briefly as they passed the group of students waiting outside the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom; any excuse not to accidentally meet Draco's eye.

In response to some signal from inside the classroom, the group began filing in, Hermione leading the Gryffindors, flanked by Harry and Ron, and the Slytherins following Blaise, Pansy and Draco. The room was unsurprisingly divided down the middle and the tension thick enough to cut with a knife, but each student had one thing in common; wanting to see round two in the fondly named 'Granger-Umbridge Witch Fight'. Hermione's chin rose proudly and defiantly into the air as the pink, toady looking woman stood from her chair.

"Good morning, class," her high-pitched childlike voice called from the front of the classroom.

"Good morning, Professor Umbridge" The class chorused in response, having learnt from their previous mistakes. The woman smiled in satisfaction.

"Today we will be doing separate activities; those of you in Slytherin, and those of you who didn't interrupt my lesson last week will be reading the next chapter of your books and, Granger, as a result of your interference last lesson, those in who did interrupt willindeed be doing something practical." There were murmurs at that, some surprised, some protesting, but Hermione noticed Draco was noticeably smug. She reached out with her mind.

*What do you know, Draco?*

*Oh, so _now_ you're talking to me!* His voice was icy, but she could detect the hurt as well.

*Draco...I'm sor-*

*Whatever...just classic you...only acknowledging me when you want to know something*

*Draco! You're not being fair." She could feel his internal sigh, before he responded.

*From what I know, you won't be doing the kind of practical work you may have had in mind...*

His mind went silent, blocking her out, and Hermione figured she wouldn't get much more from him. She looked up at the smug Professor, waiting for the verdict.

"That is...I believe...Miss Granger, Mr Finnegan and Miss Patil?" Parvati looked up in surprised; she hadn't spoken a word in their first lesson. She shyly raised her hand, looking down at the desk in fear.

"Patil?" Umbridge's usual simper was sharp.

"M-my apologies, Professor," the small girl mumbled quietly, not meeting the woman's eye, "but I was wondering what I did to offend last lesson as I don't think I sp-spoke."

"Hmm..." Professor Umbridge looked at her distastefully, before turning to Theodore Nott. "Mr Nott, do you recall Patil interrupting my lesson last week? As I do?"

"I believe you're correct, Professor." Nott's voice replied. Hermione's eyes thinned to slits as Parvati looked down, eyes wide and filling with tears. She gave a microscopic shake of her head, indicating that the Gryffindors should not protest.

"Excellent - I thought so." Umbridge trilled. "The rest of you get on with your reading; Granger, Finnegan, Patil - you'll find some cleaning supplies in the cupboard at the back of the classroom. - Wand away, Mr Finnegan - Perhaps you can make yourselves useful and clean up in here; I do prefer the effect of human labour over house elves' lazy magic." The class erupted into whispers, the Slytherins smug whilst the Gryffindors were shocked. Draco hadn't blinked an eye.

Hermione started; Umbridge wouldn't pull a stunt like this after her threat unless...

*Draco, did you suggest this?*

*Perhaps I'd have told you if you hadn't treated me like this recently, Granger. As far as our Professor knows, you won't follow through on your threat without severe consequences from an eyewitness who can blame any occurrences on you.*

*Draco, please...*

* * *

Draco was livid. His mood had been dampened by the Unforgivable discussion in Arithmancy, and then there was that little mud-muggleb-...mudblood. Ugh damn her, he couldn't even think the epithet he once used abundantly without feeling guilt. She'd treated him like Hippogriff droppings and now was only addressing him to find out more about Umbridge and how he knew so much more than she did in Arithmancy. Well, he'd be nobody if he didn't take advantage.

*Begging already, Granger? Not quite so powerful now, are you?* He refused to make eye contact with her as she and her friends walked to the back of the classroom to fetch cleaning supplies, instead glancing up at Umbridge, who inclined her head towards the inkpot on his desk and nodded at him.

*Draco, I'm sorry...* No, he wouldn't respond. He ignored her as she began sweeping near him, urging him to acknowledge her. Deep down something inside him wanted to tell her he was on her side, and that he understood, but damn it she'd hurt his pride. His expression hardened as he lifted his hand and slowly, deliberately pushed the inkpot onto the floor. Every student looked up as it smashed, the ink splattering everywhere, and the glass fragments shattering, but if you'd looked closely you would have seen a small smile on Umbridge's face before she stood, a face like fury.

"What happened?" Her normally girlish voice was sharp and strict.

"Granger knocked it with the broom, Professor." Draco insisted, and all the Slytherins murmured in agreement.

"Professor, that's a lie." Hermione said, unable to hold her tongue, glaring daggers at Draco.

"Hermione wasn't even near enough to him, Professor." Seamus insisted, from the corner of the room, and the class erupted into shouts, each student offering their own point of view.

"Enough." Umbridge shouted. "Granger, detention tonight. For wreaking havoc in this classroom, _again._ Clean up your mess, and stay behind after class. You too, Mr Malfoy."

"Professor, would you be able to have her fetch me some more ink since she dropped mine?" Draco ignored her glare, as Umbridge instructed her further and watched in satisfaction as she went to fetch him a fresh ink pot before resignedly bending to clean the mess.

*I quite like you obedient, Granger. Reminds me of our wonderful meeting at Fortescue's this summer. Do let me know if you ever want a job - we are short a house elf at the moment, and you could use the character building.*

*You've made your point, Dra-...Malfoy. Stop putting up your walls. I shouldn't have ignored you - I'm sorry. I just didn't know how to deal with...the...you know.* Even in her thoughts he could feel her blush, and he deliberated his options before responding.

*Fine. We do need to talk. Same time and place as normal?* He wasn't going to give up just yet, and he still had his father's instructions to consider. He glanced down at her as she bent near his desk, continuing to clean.

* * *

As the class packed up at the end of the lesson, they both awaited Umbridge's attention. Hermione was on edge and furious with the woman, intent on reporting her immediately, but she held herself together.

"Mr Malfoy, thank you for bringing to my attention Miss Granger's willingness to follow through on her threat. Miss Granger, you _will_ be expected at detention tonight and you owe Mr Malfoy a 'thank you' for being so reasonable when you knocked over his ink. Mr Malfoy, I look forward to meeting with you soon for that idea we discussed!" She glared at her expectantly until Hermione muttered something resembling a thank you under her breath.

As the Professor - if you could even use the word to describe the woman - strode out, Hermione turned to Draco, eyes filled with fury.

"I'll see you tonight then." She said, shortly, before walking out after Umbridge.

* * *

"Merlin, Hermione, that woman is infuriating." McGonagall was raging as Hermione relayed the events of the past few days during their new regular tea slot. "But unfortunately she has a witness to your threat so - however deserved the threat was - I don't know how to handle her. Making students clean during lessons, for goodness' sake. I will have a word with Headmaster Dumbledore," she didn't notice Hermione stiffen imperceptibly at that, "but beyond that I can't promise anything just yet. Keep me updated and rest assured that she will pay, be it now or later. Worst case scenario, you have my blessing to go to the press!" Hermione smiled fondly at her Professor as she continued to rant about Umbridge's behaviour. She poured herself another cup of tea, thankful that she had someone higher up in the Order who she could trust both with her secrets and their safety.

"Back to our lesson then," McGonagall said, having finished her tirade, and Hermione lifted her already glowing hands in preparation, delighted at the distraction from her future dreaded detention.

* * *

"He's ready to meet you, Draco." His father said from the fireplace, filled with glee. "What progress have you made?"

"She trusts me, Father, and she doesn't know I've broken the Wizard's Oath. I will have a surplus of information for the Dark Lord by the time we meet." Draco responded, calm and collected. "I'll do you proud. She won't suspect a thing when I bring her."

"I know you will, son." Lucius responded. "And he will reward you immeasurably, when you become his heir."

"I do have one of my rewards in mind..." Draco intoned, having thought long and hard about what he wanted to do with the little chit who had driven him insane for years. He had a decision to make; which side was he prepared to take. He'd kept her hanging, and it was now or never. "When I bring her to him, I get to keep her. The mudblood will be mine." Lucius smiled sadistically in response.

"I have no doubt that can be arranged, my son. I await further updates."

Draco smiled. He'd picked his side. _The mudblood would be his._

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 _Hope you enjoyed. I worry my style may have changed somewhat in the past year or so, but do let me know if you like it!_

 _I made some minor edits to the last few chapters to make it easier to adapt, so check that out if you only read it the day it came out/not as recently. (I love you guys for that; the dedication is unreal.)_ _._

 _Please press that big button saying Review! Even if you don't have an account feel free to post Anonymously/as a Guest. Thanks so much to everybody who reviewed, but there's always room for more, so please REVIEW! That button right down there!_

 _Thank you!_

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_


	19. PAST - What had he done?

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Harry Potter... (Although, like many here, I would gladly take it off of Rowling's hands if need be!)**

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 _Hi, guys!_

 _So it looks like I'm updating this more frequently!_

 _Thank you again to all of you who read, reviewed and waited anxiously in the previous interim, and even more to those who loyally returned._

 _I recommend a re-read before this chapter; I needed one too!_

 _A reminder of the previous chapter:_

 _1\. In Defence against the Dark Arts, Umbridge continues to be blatant in her disrespect of the Gryffindors, Hermione especially, going as far as making them clean up the classroom during lesson time._

 _2\. It is revealed that Draco offered to witness Hermione's threat to Umbridge, should anything happen to her, as he is spiteful of her treatment of him since their shared kiss._

 _3\. Hermione and Draco agree to meet that evening to resolve their issues, despite Draco's misconduct in Defence._

 _4\. Draco makes a decision regarding which side of the war he should be on, and his vague assignment is revealed to be linked to Hermione. He chooses to help his father and the Dark Lord, but in return, requests Hermione as a prisoner once they have finished interrogating her._

 _PLEASE NOTE THAT I MADE SOME MINOR UPDATES/EDITS TO PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. THEY'RE NOT SUPER MAJOR PLOT CHANGES, BUT THE STORY WILL PROBABLY FALL INTO PLACE MORE EASILY IF YOU GO BACK AND RE-READ THEM. Up to you, though!_

 _Do review, lovelies! A little click will just make my day._

 _Parts of the story in bold are FLASHBACKS/MEMORIES. This isn't really a concept I want to overuse, but it's pretty essential here; sorry if bold bothers you, I will try to remain inoffensive. ;)_

 _We are moving away from relatively canon-compliant - whilst the beginning "PAST" scenes slip in quite comfortably, as the story progresses, key changes are made._

 _If you get confused, as I'm not the clearest writer, Legilimency conversations will have '*'s around them._

 _Thanks for returning - its good to see you all again!_

 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_

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PAST - What had he done?

Hermione tried to suppress the dread rising up inside her stomach as she knocked on the door of the DADA office, waiting patiently for the response. 2 minutes later she considered knocking again, before the door swung open. Umbridge glared at her, then swept back into the office without saying a word, leaving Hermione to follow.

"You will be doing lines today." Umbridge spoke sharply, but there was a edge of satisfaction that Hermione couldn't quite put her finger on.

"Lines, Professor?" She couldn't help herself. All that fuss over writing lines!

"Yes, Granger...no, put that quill away, you'll be using a special one of mine. You will write...hmm...'I shall suppress the need to disrespect my betters', let's say, 100 times? If you do not finish today, you can come and do so tomorrow, and return until they are completed."

Hermione's eyes widened as she recognised the quill Umbridge handed to her; Blood quills were outlawed decades ago, only permitted for the signing of magical contracts.

"Professor!" She exclaimed. "Blood quills are...they're _illegal!_ " Umbridge smirked, though the expression did not suit her so well as others.

"As is threatening a Ministry employee, Granger. I doubt anyone would believe you anyway; just an attention-seeking mudblood who carved up her own hand to get petty revenge on a teacher who put her in her rightful place." She responded, smugly." Hermione flinched at the slur, simultaneously taken aback at her daring and unsurprised by her old-fashioned viewpoint. She made to leave, but Umbridge whipped out her wand, and immediately Hermione stilled. She could protect herself, yes, but at what cost? Revealing her Lady's secret to an outsider? Prompting investigation? Was it worth it?

Despite her logical thought process, she could feel a familiar tingle running down her spine and resisted the urge to check her fingertips, instead willing the glow away. She slowly sat down, still conscious of Umbridge's wand trained on her.

"Granger..." Umbridge began; Hermione imagined she was attempting an impression of the Potion Master's infamous silky, dangerous tone, although she did not manage to be succeeding particularly well. "Don't think the consequences will be any less severe should you not fulfil your detention, instead of fulfilling it and trying to report it." Hermione cursed Draco in the back of her mind for destroying her advantage, instead willing tendrils of her magic to try to influence Umbridge's emotions, as Draco had once attacked her for doing.

"Professor, are you sure you want to do this?" She'd long since given up on tact or sarcastic flattery, instead attempting a direct manipulation. She encountered a block into Umbridge's emotions and tried desperately to force her way through. It wasn't like Occlumency, which could only defend against empathery when it was highly developed, but more like something dark; it was almost like a void which blocked her influence, as if a piece of Umbridge no longer existed inside her body, preventing her from feeling emotions to their fullest extent. Dark magic? Something stronger?

"Don't condescend me, child. Begin. You'll return every night until they're completed."

Hermione gritted her teeth as she picked up the quill, willing her magic to the surface of her skin to shield herself, but it did little to ebb the ensuing pain. Maybe if she was older, more trained, she could combat Blood Magic, but not today.

She had to muffle a shriek as the first words sliced into her hand, and the cuts only got deeper, shining brightly each time they were reinforced by the red words on the sheet in front of her, the words themselves feeling like they cut her as much as the quill. After what seemed like an eternity, Umbridge looked up, her mouth curled into something which on anybody else may be considered a smile.

"That's enough for tonight, Granger. Let's have a look then." Hermione resisted the urge to pull away as the toad reached for her hand. "Hmmm...doesn't quite seem to have sunk in yet has it? How many have you done?"

"48." She whispered, forgoing the respectful 'Professor'.

"48, _Professor_ " Umbridge corrected her. Hermione suppressed a smile, channelling her brother before looking the woman straight in the eye.

"No need to call me Professor, ma'am!" She retorted cheekily, grinning through the pain - you win some you lose some, right? Umbridge glared at her, her hand briefly twitching towards her wand.

"You just earnt yourself another 100 lines on top of the 100 you have yet to complete, you insufferable child." Umbridge snapped. "Leave." She stalked off, leaving Hermione to see herself out, which she didn't do until she'd had a chance to look around the office. From the pictures of cats lining the walls to the ghastly pale pink of every surface, it was almost like a fusion between the office of an old-cat-lady's and that of a 5 year-old's.

It wasn't until she'd been standing there for almost 5 minutes that Hermione realised how much her hand was throbbing; she'd wrapped it in as many layers of magic as she could, but she needed to get it taken care of, and she only had about an hour until curfew. 'Like that's ever stopped you, Hermione!' She scolded herself internally. 'You're meeting Draco after curfew anyway, just make an appearance in the common room before going to see Poppy.'

* * *

Unbeknownst to Hermione, Draco had been watching the office door for her exit. He gritted his teeth, having some idea of what was in store for the muggle-born Gryffindor. Hopefully the bitch hadn't done too much damage to his new favourite plaything...well...at least nothing too permanent.

He whispered a disillusionment charm as she left, expecting her to head to Gryffindor tower before she came to meet with him, but she did quite the opposite, heading towards the...Hospital wing?

He followed her, his feet silenced and his breathing quietened; he couldn't get too near, or her magic would detect his.

"Hello, dear!" The usually sombre faced matron turned around, the corners of her mouth immediately turning up in a smile. "Is everything alright, dear? You look pale." Draco watched Hermione lift up her hand slowly, and her voice sounded strained with pain.

"Detention...Umbitch...Blood...quill." She forced out. "Couldn't...stop...pain...murtlap...Still...have...days...left."

"That's quite enough, dear. I have some Murtlap essence, and I can make it into a balm for you to take with you." Madame Pomfrey practically flew to her office and back, handing Hermione a small bottle. "Rinse the cuts in this, then wrap it with a bandage." Hermione nodded, obeying carefully before waving her hand and whispering 'Ferula'.

"Madame Pomfrey, do you have anything for the pain?" Her words were more formed, but Draco could still hear that she was in pain. Pomfrey nodded, summoning one and handing it to her.

"I can give you more, but you know well the danger of addiction to any potion of this kind." Draco saw his mudblood nod in response, downing half the bottle. "That woman..." Pomfrey hissed.

"I may be a bit useless in helping restock the infirmary potions for a while, Madame Pomfrey, but I'm sure I'll be back in no ti-." Hermione began, but she was cut off.

"Miss Granger...Hermione...don't worry." She paused as she worked, observing Hermione's hand delicately. She suddenly started, looking around the room to check they were alone. Draco heard a whispered 'Muffliato Obscurus', and could only watch as Pomfrey turned back to the young Gryffindor girl before his vision went dark.

* * *

"Hermione?" Pomfrey asked her, and she looked up at the sound of her name. "How long have you had Lady Hufflepuff's gift?"

Hermione started, not being able to control her gaze instinctively flickering to her potentially glowing hands. She looked up at the woman, suddenly uneasy, momentarily considering making a run for it. Before she could, the Healer began glowing, speaking as if simultaneously possessed and more herself than Hermione had seen.

"Hermione - soy una descendiente no mágico de la Dama, y de Riverla...tengo la bendición." Poppy insisted emphatically, and Hermione felt a familiar type of magic reach towards her.

"First year." She responded immediately. Poppy's glow faded, and she breathed deeply to recover herself.

"So young...the task, of course." Poppy muttered. "Do you know your core?"

Hermione thought of Riverla's words all those years ago, wishing they made any more sense now.

 **She had been meditating cross-legged with the spirit for what felt like hours.**

 **"Find your core." Riverla had insisted. "Your conexión to your centre from your magic. What holds them together? For only that core can weaken those bonds enough to push your magic beyond your imagination whilst still keeping it close to your heart."**

 **"What could it be? How will I know?" But her begging questions had been in earnest, for Riverla revealed little more.**

 **"Perhaps you are too young, mi chica." She hummed quietly, her eyes suddenly closing. "And yet, perhaps your time may still come, when you least expect it, naturally; we must keep some tradición, no?" She winked at the young girl, as Hermione sighed in disappointment.**

"I've never known. The Lady said I may have been too young, but seldom a day passes where I do not wonder what she meant. What's yours, Madame Pomfrey?"

"Poppy, please. We are kindred spirits of a sort, Hermione. Blood bound. And my core, well, it could have been many things. I chose what was in my heart, and now it is fully formed; my core is healing. It is the magic I can push beyond all reason, and it helps my centre remain grounded yet free. It took me years to find; I'm not surprised you could not do so whilst so young, for you have had little chance to push your magic beyond these walls." The Healer smiled. "It's rare to find another of us, Hermione. I myself have only met one, and none who were blessed so young as you."

"Another?" Hermione asked, eyes wide. "What can you share? There is so much I still have yet to understand."

"That I cannot speak to, but I can offer to heal your wound. Blood magic is tricky, but doabl-" Poppy began, but Hermione cut her off.

"I can't risk her finding out about our Lady." Poppy nodded, expecting this.

"Let me know if you need more, Hermione." Her eyes briefly hardened. "This was risky, we cannot speak of this here again." She held out her fist, closing her eyes as it glowed a deep blue, before opening it. In her hand lay a pair of chains, a pair of anklets. "We can communicate through these." As Hermione reached for hers, she looked back at the woman, who suddenly looked younger than her years, and more alive than Hermione had ever seen her.

"Thank you, Poppy. It will be nice not to feel alone."

"Always. Friends in the most unlikely of places, remember?" Hermione giggled, before embracing her before the protective enchantments slipped away

"Always."

* * *

Draco couldn't remember how he'd gotten there, only that he was going to be late for his meeting. He slipped into a passageway behind a tucked away tapestry in order to beat her there.

Alas, as luck would have it, when he arrived Hermione was already there, pacing anxiously. She looked up, alert at the sound of his footsteps.

"Dra-...Malfoy." She greeted him, her voice controlled and even.

"Granger." He responded, matching her tone. He saw her eyes widen in surprise at the lack of 'mudblood'.

"I'm sorry." She breathed. "I shouldn't have avoided you. And I shouldn't have tried to ignore what happened to get something I wanted." He went to interrupt, but she held up a hand. "But you shouldn't have pulled that stunt in class, whether it was for attention or power."

"Debatable." He replied, shortly. "I forgive you. Is that all?" He made to leave, waiting for her inevitable protest. She was so deliciously predictable.

"Draco, we need to talk." He raised an eyebrow at that, gesturing for her to continue. "About the...kiss." Draco breathed deeply, fighting to keep his control; he remembered his mission, squashing down his feelings of desire at the memory she brought up. He would have all the time in the world to take advantage of...such things...when she was his prisoner.

"What would you like to say, Granger."

"Hermione, please." She corrected him, pleadingly. "It...you...you kissed me." Draco didn't have to try as hard to keep control this time.

"Well observed, Granger. Or _Hermione,_ if you insist." He smirked. "Well then, _Hermione_ , why did you kiss me back?"

"I..."

"Seems a little out of character for you to blame something mutual on just one person. Then again, you did always blame Weasley for both your wonder twin's mistakes...so perhaps not so. Isn't that right, _Hermione?_ "

* * *

"Draco, please." Hermione started; this was not how she'd wanted this to go.

" _Draco, please."_ He mimicked her, mockingly. "Please what, _Hermione?_ Unless you're denying its mutual. Are you, _Hermione?_ " He exaggerating her name, daring her to protest. She went to speak, but he continued, moving closer to her as he spoke. "I suppose if it wasn't mutual, you'd feel nothing if I did this." He leaned in, his lips close enough for her to feel his breath on her face, yet still excruciatingly far. She felt something, a strange pull to this boy who felt like her enemy and her salvation all at once. She tore her eyes from his lips, focusing on his stormy eyes instead. He looked triumphant. This was not the Draco she had kissed. This was Malfoy.

"You're putting your walls up again. Don't pretend you don't feel anything, as much as you think I do." She whispered, not tearing her gaze from his. She watched his soften.

"Hermione." His voice was suddenly strained, but his face didn't move away from hers. She saw his shoulders lift with the deep breaths he took, and his eyes hardened. "Perhaps I do. I have felt many things towards you recently. Joy at watching your humiliation. Satisfaction as I got my revenge for your affect on me by betraying your trust. Your feelings, however. Well despite your control, perhaps the fact you're glowing with passion leaves you out of advantages." Hermione looked down, and realised she'd begun emitting a slight glow, and it was steadily getting brighter. She looked back up at him, then down at her hands. Why control it if he already knew?

She lifted one of her hands up to his face, and his eyes widened in surprise. She saw something in them. Something soft, sympathetic...she brought him towards her.

* * *

Draco could scarcely think. Where their first kiss was slow, sweet and gentle, this one was fiery and passionate. He tangled his fingers into her hair; it was surprisingly soft. He moaned slightly, their tongues battling for dominance. He could feel the glow of her passion enveloping him as he backed her against one of the walls of the Astronomy Tower.

"I trust you." She whimpered. "Draco, please, don't keep punishing me for our feelings." He felt her melt into him. The rational 'Malfoy' part of his mind told him to stop. He'd done enough for his mission. Rewards come to those who wait.

The part of him that continued kissing her reminded him of how magnificent she'd been. Of how breathtaking she was with her power, confidence and charm.

"You're magnificent." He whispered against her lips, and she threw her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry, about Umbridge." He didn't know if it was a lie. Watching her, seemingly entirely under his control as she couldn't risk revealing her gift, or him revealing her blackmail. The thought of him being hers; knowing he could truly follow through on his comment about giving her a new serving role. After an eternity that didn't feel long enough they broke apart, almost collapsing from exhaustion.

"I forgive you, too." She promised, sagging against him. He'd won her trust, her affection, but at what cost to himself? He did not win them for nothing. Draco looked down at the girl in his arms; he felt something towards her. Not hate, not just a begrudging respect, something even beyond a primal desire.

What had he done?

 _Hope you enjoyed. Apologies for any hiatus-induced discontinuities. I tried - do let me know if you like it!_

 _I made some minor edits to the last few chapters to make it easier to adapt, so check that out if you only read it the day it came out/not as recently. (I love you guys for that; the dedication is unreal.)_ _._

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 _Signed off,_

 _YourDiamondAngel_


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